Holiday sales surge, slump
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NEW YORK -- The first holiday shopping weekend of the year may have started with a bang, but it ended with a whimper, evidence from two groups that track sales showed yesterday.
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Many U.S. retailers are expected to  report disappointing December sales later this week, hurt by  everything from the challenging economy to unfavorable weather  to the calendar, which shifted more holiday sales to November.
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U.S. shoppers came out in droves in  November, but warm and wet weather, combined with steep holiday  discounts, prompted less-than-stellar sales at many chains,  retailers said on Thursday.
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The outlook for the holiday season dimmed yesterday as the nation's retailers reported disappointing sales for November following an uninspiring Thanksgiving weekend.
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U.S. shoppers have kept a tight grip on their wallets this holiday season with indices on Tuesday showing sluggish sales in the second week of the  season.
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The outlook for the holiday season dimmed Thursday as the nation's retailers reported disappointing sales for November following an uninspiring Thanksgiving weekend.
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Shoppers flocked to Britainâs stores for the busiest weekend so far this Christmas, retailers said. Early indications show pre-season sales bucked takings at the tills compared to the same time last year.
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Online sales of holiday stalwarts like jewelry, watches and flowers have dropped from last yearâs levels, while sales of more practical items like furniture and appliances have climbed.
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Holiday sales are expected to rise at their slowest pace in five years as the weak housing market and a credit crunch temper consumer spending, the National Retail Federation said on Thursday.
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Business & money: December sales fall 0.4% despite discounting, as housing demand also points to deepening slump
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Holiday sales are expected to rise at  their slowest pace in five years as the weak housing market and  a credit crunch temper consumer spending, the National Retail  Federation said on Thursday.
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Bargain hunters got a sluggish start but finally hit the slushy streets yesterday, alongside snow plows and sand trucks, to give retail sales an extra bump this holiday season.
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Sales at retailers posted a much stronger-than-expected 1.2 percent rise in November, government data showed on Thursday, as holiday shoppers coped with high energy costs and the fallout from a housing slump.
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U.S. retail sales jumped a more-than-expected 1.2 percent in December, the government said on Thursday, as car dealers, furniture stores and on-line retailers reported strong sales.
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Americans stormed the nation's shops on Friday after U.S. Thanksgiving Day at the start of the holiday shopping season, lured by cut-price toys, consumer electronics and Santa.
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U.S. specialty apparel retailers saw  sales rise 3.6 percent in holiday shopping, at the lower-end of  expectations, according to data released on Tuesday by  SpendingPulse.
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The holiday shopping season may not be so bad after all. Consumers came surging back into stores in November, revving retail sales at the fastest pace in four months.