Weather takes toll on sales

NEW YORK - With unseasonable cool weather throughout Northeastern states hampering sales of seasonal goods, same-store retail sales eased off during the fourth and final week of May, rising 2.9 percent, compared with a stronger gain of 3.4 percent the prior week, the Johnson Redbook Index reported.

But even so, same-store sales for all of May still came in ahead of plan, helped by a solid performance at department stores, and rose 3.2 percent, besting a targeted 3 percent gain.