Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news

More than half of the city's department stores reported sluggish sales this month, today's Laodong Daily reported.
According to the Shanghai Business Information Center, since the week-long National Day holiday from October 1 to 7, local department stores have registered a downward trend in sales, compared with the upward trends recorded in previous years. Among the more than 50 stores reporting this month, only two or three have enjoyed sales increases while more than half suffered a more than 10-percent drop in business, with some even reporting near 60-percent reductions. 
The quarter from October to December is the most important period for a department store, when sales usually account for nearly 40 percent of total annual sales, said an industry analyst. The excessive number of rainy days in November have had a negative impact on sales, he explained.