Despite heat waves, penny-pinching parents and a weak jobs market, retailers posted better than expected sales in August, helped by a sharper focus on inventories and promotions. Thomson Reuters found comparable sales at major retailers rose 3.3%, better than the 2.5% it had forecast. Continue reading August Retail Sales Beat Expectations as Stores Get Smarter August Retail Sales Beat Expectations as Stores Get Smarter originally appeared on DailyFinance on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:07:00. Filed Under: Company News , Economy , JC Penney , Macy's , Target Corp , Saks , Retail Permalink | Tweet this! | Comments