US retail sales fell 1.5 percent in September after moving into positive territory the previous month as the country emerges from a long recession, government data showed Wednesday.
The sales slump followed a revised 2.2 percent rise in August but was less than the 2.1 percent drop expected by most analysts.
Approaching a holiday shopping season critical to economic recovery, US retailers are bracing for a difficult period with credit still tight and consumer caution lingering.
Many early projections suggests retail spending in the final two months of 2009 -- a season that accounts for a large proportion of sales and profits -- will be flat or lower.
