Children's Place Sept. Sales Comparison Rises

SECAUCUS, N.J. (AP) — The Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. said Thursday that its retail sales at stores open at least a year rose 4 percent in September, beating Wall Street forecasts for a decline.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected a decrease of 1.3 percent.

Sales at stores open at least year is a key indicator of a retailers' health because it excludes sales at newly opened stores.

September's 4 percent growth compared with a 1 percent increase in the same month last year. The latest figures included a 2 percent increase in the United States, a 1 percent decline in Canada and a 54 percent jump in online sales.

Total sales rose 9 percent to $174.7 million.

For the first nine months of the year, Children's Place reported a 3 percent decline in sales at stores open at least a year. Total sales fell 1 percent to $1.03 billion.