Retail sales

It's a big week for retailers, with several releasing earnings reports that will give a glimpse at the strength of the back-to-school shopping season.

People were, in fact, out shopping and buying during the mid-summer.

Checking in with the summer consumer

Retail sales were up 0.6 percent in last month. Cars and discount stores did well in May, while department stores dragged.

Temperatures were down across much of the United States, causing consumers to huddle at home instead of going out.

It's a big week for department-store earnings. How are they faring in the stutter-step economic recovery?

Retail sales ticked up by 1.1 percent last month according to the Commerce Department. The growth was better than expected, despite higher gas prices and the payroll tax increase that went into effect at the beginning of the year.

U.S. retail sales rose 1.1 percent in September with Americans spending more on cars, electronics and gas.

This morning the National Retail Federation predicted modest growth for holiday shopping this year -- up about four percent -- and automakers are expecting another strong month of sales.

JCPenney is reporting big losses today. Sales were down almost 22 percent last quarter. That's the second straight quarter of steep declines.