Holiday sales seen slowest pace in 5 yrs
617196
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.
40661
Concern about the US housing market returns as a key survey shows sales have fallen to a near five-year low.
749983
Sales at U.S. retailers fell 0.4  percent in December and were less vigorous in November than  previously thought, according to a government report on Tuesday  that implied costlier energy and slumping housing prices were  taking a toll on consumers.
395993
Sales of new homes dropped to the slowest pace in over seven years, foreshadowing further economic trouble ahead.
438446
NEW YORK -- Holiday sales are expected to rise 5 percent this year, less than the 6.1 percent in the year-ago period, as consumers face still high energy costs, rising interest rates and a cooling housing market, the National Retail Federation said .
189820
After a string of strong years, U.S.  auto sales are slowing and an increasing number of forecasts  say sales could fall next year to their lowest in nearly a  decade, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site on  Monday.
51425
The 2007 holiday shopping season is turning out to be the weakest in years after retailers across-the-board reported deep declines in their December sales Thursday.
619359
The outlook for the holiday season dimmed Thursday as the nation&#39;s retailers reported disappointing sales for November following an uninspiring Thanksgiving weekend.
762855
A surge in spending over the weekend may not have been enough to rescue Target, Sears Holdings and Macy's from the slowest holiday spending season in five years.
447344
Retail sales growth in the week after Thanksgiving fell to 3.1 percent, the slowest rate in four years, as consumers delayed holiday purchases to wait for discounts.
440081
Drugstores reported unusually weak  December sales on Thursday, weighed down by a slow flu season,  lower-priced generic drugs and sluggish sales of seasonal  items.
490001
U.S. retailers posted weak sales growth in December, as snow storms, discounts and economic uncertainty conspired to make the 2007 holiday shopping season the worst in 5 years.
379149
Business & money: Like-for-like sales grow at slowest rate for a year as consumers rein in spending.
164723
The last minute will be a crucial one for U.S. retailers looking to make holiday sales as data released on Tuesday, one week before Christmas, show that consumers continue to procrastinate and that last week's wicked weather stymied holiday shopping.
566820
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - The holiday mood at independent  music retailers is one of cautious optimism, despite Nielsen  SoundScan numbers showing that overall sales at U.S. indie  merchants were down 7.1% from last year as of Nov. 28.
18257
Retailers may be in for a blue Christmas this year as worries about soaring energy prices, consumers' cost-consciousness and a warmer December than last year make for lackluster holiday sales, retail analysts said.
228729
Investors may frown as a sluggish holiday season has retailers slashing prices.