Retailers report surprisingly weak December [View All]

[Pale Blue Dot]

Source: Yahoo Finance

NEW YORK (AP) -- Retailers are reporting surprisingly weak December revenue after a strong November pulled forward holiday spending and a blizzard in the Northeast took a bite out of sales after Christmas.

The results raise some worries that the holiday season might be less stellar than some had hoped, but some analysts still expect spending in November and December to show the largest annual increase since 2006.

As merchants report their figures Thursday, many retailers including Target Corp., Costco Wholesale Corp. and Macy's Inc. reported gains below Wall Street expectations. Bon-Ton Stores Inc.'s sales were virtually flat and company officials blamed the severe snowstorms.

The figures are based on revenue at stores opened at least a year and are considered a key indicator of a retailer's health.

Read more: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Retailers-report-surprisingly-apf-712155941.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=1&asset=&ccode=

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Another "surprise".