Retail
sales rose 3.3% in January, the biggest increase in two years,
signaling to long-suffering department and clothing stores that
consumers are returning, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Following
a strong holiday season, January marked the fifth consecutive month of
positive same-store sales after months of sharp declines, according to
the Journal.
January results showed that discounts were important to shoppers, as some of the best figures came from low-priced retailers.
Teen
retailers and department stores, both of which were expected to post
slight declines, reported increases of 6.5% and 2.5% respectively, and
apparel retailers rose 7.3%, the Journal reported.