Retailers Set to Report Wilted July Sales

SAN FRANCISCO - Retailers are set to report another month of slowing sales after July offered little to draw in customers by the droves.

Bargain-hunting shoppers delaying their purchases for the back-to-school season, as well as a timing shift in a tax-free sales week in certain states, may contribute to softer numbers for July, which is typically the first month for the introduction of fall merchandise.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial project that chain stores' same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, collectively climbed 2.9% in July. That's below last year's 3.7% increase in the same period.

Excluding Wal-Mart(WMT Quote), analysts peg the number to go up by 3.9%, compared with 4.7% on a comparable basis last year. ...