For October 2009, retailers reported an overall gain of 1.8% for stores open at least one year. Traditionally, October is a quiet month in retail as consumers take a breath after back-to-school shopping and hunker down before the busy holiday season. October figures were helped by easy comparisons with the prior year, unseasonably cool weather, and the Columbus Day holiday. Teenage retailers seemed to suffer the most, as American Eagle Outfitters, Zumiez, and Abercrombie & Fitch all reported negative numbers. The recent increase in the minimum wage in some states may have had the unintended effect of increasing teen unemployment further and sending teen-oriented apparel retailers deeper into the red. Many department stores continued to disappoint as Macy's, Dillard's, and JC Penney all reported negative numbers, but there were glimmers of hope for others. With the Great Recession likely over in a technical sense and the stock market in an apparent V-shaped recovery, there were signs that the American consumer may be wading back into upscale department stores. In a surprise, comparable stores sales at high-end retailers Saks and Nordstrom were positive, dispelling the notion, at least temporarily, that upscale apparel is dead. Whether discretionary spending is impacted by the holiday spirits will be the tale told at the conclusion of the next two months.