November's gloom appeared evenly spread across the industry.
Wal-Mart said sales rose 0.7 percent after it had predicted sales would grow between 2 and 4 percent in November. The company said its core customer's spending remains pinched by rising fuel prices, and analysts said the chain failed to match early-bird specials offered by competitors such as Best Buy Co.
Weakness in clothing sales appeared to be a major factor in lackluster sales. May Department Stores Co., which operates Hecht's and Lord & Taylor, said sales dropped 7.9 percent. The company cited poor sales of men's and women's sportswear as well as limited demand for winter coats and other cold-weather clothing.
Specialty retailer Gap Inc., which operates Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic stores, said sales slipped 4 percent. "Although customer response to holiday merchandise in October was initially promising, demand slowed in November," Vice President Sabrina Simmons said in a statement.
"Fashion apparel this season just didn't sweep consumers off their feet and into the stores," said Kurt Barnard editor of Barnard's Retail Trend Report.
Not all retailers suffered in November. High-end department stores posted some of the biggest gains, with sales up 8.4 percent at Neiman Marcus Group Inc. of Dallas and 3.1 percent at Nordstrom Inc. of Seattle. But moderately priced J.C. Penney, which has aggressively expanded its apparel and home furnishings lineup, also said sales rose 12 percent.
The results appeared at odds with the long lines and strong sales that characterized the Friday after Thanksgiving. But retail industry analysts said the buying blitz -- which focused heavily on early-bird bargains -- was too short-lived and too late to lift the month's otherwise weak figures.
"Everyone from the middle of the income bracket on down seems to be pulling back on spending," said Jeff Stinson, a retail analyst at FTN Midwest Research Corp.
