(RTTNews) - Tuesday, MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse, a macro-economic report tracking national retail and service sales, said that retail sales had stabilized into the holiday season, despite some apparel sectors showing mild year-over-year declines.

For the pre-season period through November 14, 2009, Specialty Apparel category sales were down 5.0% compared to the year-ago period. While this number is down from the 3.4% increase in October, it is much better than the double-digit decline the sector experienced during the first two weeks of November 2008.

Year-to-year Women's Apparel sales were down 3.3%, and Men's Apparel was down by 1.0%; but both sectors have shown improvement compared to the year-earlier period. Women's apparel had shown 9 months of double-digit, year-to-year declines since October 2008. Footwear sales, which had shown two consecutive months of year-to-year increases in September and October, cooled to a 1.5% year-to-year decline in the first two weeks of November.

Luxury sales showed the largest drop, with a 9.2% year-to-year decline, after posting an increase in October. Finally, electronics sales for the period showed a 6.1% year-to-year increase, and the e-Commerce channel continues to experience growth with an increase of 19.4% over the first two weeks of November 2008.

Kamalesh Rao, Director of Economic Research for SpendingPulse, said, "Since the spring of 2009, a generally stable environment has persisted. And as we have come into October and November 2009, some industry sectors are beginning to show smaller year-over-year declines, while others are showing positive year-over-year comparisons. As retail inventories appear to be more aligned with consumer demand this year, there hasn't been the same need for the widespread and emergency discounting that occurred in November 2008. The numbers overall continue to be much improved to the declines the sectors have experienced over the past year."
Walmart Stores Inc. (WMT: News ) same store sales declined 0.4% for the 13 weeks ended October 30. For that same period a year ago, same-store sales grew 2.5%. US clothing retailer Gap, Inc. (GAP: News ) October same store sales jumped to 4% and prompted the company to set third-quarter guidance above expectations.

Interestingly, Walmart's competitor Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) reported a 5% increase in October same-store sales with October net sales rising 7% to $5.68 billion. Retail store operator Target, Corp. (TGT) reported a 0.1% decline in October same-store sales during October; with same-store sales down 3.9% year-to-date.

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