January Retail Sales Beat Expectations

New York, NY, Feb. 3, 2011 — Major U.S. retailers posted January sales that beat analyst expectations, Thomson Reuters reported.

Retailers posted a 4.2% increase in sales at stores open at least a year, beating analysts’ expectations for a 2.7% gain and exceeding a year-earlier rise of 3.3 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.

But some cautioned against being too optimistic as unemployment remains high and the U.S. economic recovery remains uncertain.