U.S.
retailers' sales will climb 3.4 percent this holiday season, slightly more than
last year, even as companies expect more modest spending from consumers facing
higher payroll taxes and economic uncertainty.
Last
year, sales in November and December climbed 3 percent excluding automobile,
food and beverage-related sales, Jesse Tron, a spokesman for the International
Council of Shopping Centers, a New York-based trade group, said in a phone
interview today. Chain-store sales may increase 2 percent.
