Store Sales Zoom
Most leading national retailers posted upbeat sales for August. Bebe Stores Inc., The Wet Seal Inc., Abercrombie & Fitch Co.and American Eagle Outfitters all posted double-digit increases in samestore sales for the month. Nordstrom Inc. and The Neiman Marcus Group Inc. posted gains of about 8 percent. About 70 percent of retailers tracked by Wall Street analysts beat their estimates for the month. Industry watchers, however, warned that the spike might be temporary, as rising energy prices and the effects of Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast could have an impact on September results.
