MI Retail Sales Projection Released

Retailers in Michigan say their sales forecasts through October slipped a bit, following a strong July.

The latest Michigan Retail Index shows while the new three-month forecast dropped to its lowest of the year, it remained comparatively high.

Michigan Retailers Association President James Hallan says increased sales in July were across a wide spectrum of trade lines, including gifts, apparel and personal services.

Looking forward, 56 percent of retailers expect August to October to increase, 16 percent expect a decrease and 28 percent expect no change.

It translates to a projected outlook slightly below what retailers were saying in June.