Sandy knocks retail sales down nearly 20 percent
Superstorm Sandy knocked off nearly $4 billion of retail sales last week in the hard-hit Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region, nearly 20 percent of the usual total, according to a figures released Tuesday by a retail data service.
Like-for-like retail sales fell 0.9 percent on a year ago in July, a survey showed on Tuesday, as the economic slowdown hits consumer appetite for spending.