Although American consumers are slowly regaining confidence in the steady but sluggish economic improvement, retail sales have been increasing over the past few months. This trend could highlight the fact that conditions are beginning to look up as shoppers make their way back into retail stores.

According to a study by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), retail chain store sales rose 6 percent in August in comparison to the same time last year, reports Investor Place. Last month's numbers also increased by 4.6 percent from July. The jump in sales could be due to the back-to-school shopping season, as industry experts anticipate September's totals could slightly decrease once the school supply shopping frenzy is completed. An increase between 3 and 4 percent is expected for this month, states the source.

August's numbers were better than expected, writes Seeking Alpha, as retailers anticipated that low consumer confidence would have a negative impact on the industry. However, last month's rise in sales defied odds by bringing in some of the highest totals of the past few months. Many large department stores saw an uptick in August sales, including Macy's, Nordstrom and Limited Brands, which owns and operates Victoria's Secret and Henri Bendel.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, September 6th, 2012 at 10:37 am .