US DATA: 18-Feb wk Redbook Average: “The latest week included last
minute Valentine’s Day demand and ended with Presidents Day promotions.
Valentine’s Day was a major draw for some general merchandise stores,
attracting customers and creating spill-over business in other
categories.” May have also seen early sales of spring lines due to mild
weather, Redbook says.
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Year-over-year: Week (w/e 02/18/12 vs year-ago) 2.9%
Year-over-year: Month (February 2012 vs February 2011) 2.7%
Month-over-month: (February 2012 vs January 2012) 1.4%