• by Sarah Mahoney , October 8, 2009

The country's largest retailers got a tiny shot in the arm last month, with many leading chains posting results that were a bit better than expected.

At JC Penney, for example, comparable-store sales dropped just 1.4% for the period, driven by stronger-than-expected results in women's apparel, shoes, and kids' clothing; earlier the company had forecast a decline of between 3 and 6%. At Target, comparable-store sales slipped 1.7%, also exceeding expectations. And at Kohl's, sales gained 5.5%. As a result, all three companies raised their third-quarter forecasts.

Overall, retail sales nudged up 0.8%, reports Retail Forward -- which tracks about 30 major chains in its index, beating the decline of 2.5% in August sales, and the 0.5% increase in September of last year.

The best performances continued to come from those chains that stress value: TJX, owner of TJ Maxx and Marshalls, saw its sales jump 7%, for example, and at Aeropostale, the value play in teen denim, sales shot up 19%. And there was no relief in sight for stores regarded as pricey: Teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch says same-store sales tumbled another 18%, while sales skidded 16.9% at Neiman Marcus and 11.6% at Saks.

There were also encouraging signs in the hard-hit specialty apparel sector. Limited Brands, which had predicted a decline, says sales advanced 1%. And while Gap Inc.'s comparable-store sales decreased 1%, led by an 8% fall at its Gap brand and 12% decrease at Banana Republic, Old Navy got a back-to-school bounce, with sales jumping 13%.

While the small gains are cheering, Retail Forward reports that its ongoing research indicates that consumers are still being mighty cautious about spending plans. The percentage of shoppers who say they plan to spend less in the next month climbed back up to 47% in September -- a jump from 38% in August.

"Despite their slippage," the Columbus, Ohio-based consultancy says in its report, "the September numbers continue a zigzagging trend that generally suggests an improving trend in shoppers' intention to spend since early 2009."