Snowstorms have deterred¹ shoppers at post-Christmas sales in America's northeast, while retailers⁴ in the rest of the country are anticipating their highest sales in three years.

受暴雪影响，美国东北部地区圣诞节后销售额大减，其它地区的销售商正在期待近三年以来最高销售额的出现。

Retail² shares declined on the New York stock exchange after blizzards⁵ kept shoppers at home" src="http://www.enread.com/upimg/allimg/101228/1_101228073016_1.jpg" width="304" height="171" />
Retail shares declined on the New York stock exchange after blizzards kept shoppers at home
Blizzards caused shopping malls in several northeastern states to close early on Sunday, usually one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

Many shoppers also heeded⁶（注意，留心） warnings to stay home and off the roads.

Retail shares declined in the wake of the storms.

The Standard & Poor's Retail Index fell 0.5 percent on Monday morning, while the broader S&P 500 was down just 0.1 percent.

Leaner January

This news will disappoint retailers who have suffered tentative（试验性的） sales while the economy slowly recovers.

Mall operator Taubman Centers Inc said a number of shopping centres it operates saw light traffic on Sunday because of the storm.

Although holiday sales have risen overall, missing out on the additional boost from after-Christmas sales is difficult for retailers, especially those concerned about a lean January when consumers tighten⁷ their belts after the holiday spending season.

However, some analysts⁸ expect the storms will boost online sales.

During the week of Christmas, analysts at IBM Coremetrics reported that online spending had increased 16% over 2009. The average cost of online orders rose 13%.

Online retailer³ Amazon.com announced on Monday that it had record e-book sales this holiday season.

In non-storm affected⁹ areas, retail demand remained healthy after Christmas.

The country's biggest shopping centre in Minnesota, the Mall of America, expected an 8% rise in sales over last year.