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 Retailers in the West and parts of the South are entering the critical Christmas shopping season with more momentum than those in other regions.
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 In a new report, the International Council of Shopping Centers said
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 sales of general merchandise in the West for the first seven months of 1989 rose 6.6% above year-earlier levels.
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 Sales increased a more modest 4.8% in the South and 4.4% in the Midwest.
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 But sales in the oil-patch state of Texas surged 12.9% 
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and sales in South Carolina jumped 10.6% in the period,
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 the New York trade group said.
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 In the Northeast, however, sales declined 0.4% in the period,
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 with sales in New England falling 2.6%.
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elaboration-general-specific

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 The numbers show 
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that we don't have a monolithic economy, 
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said Isaac Lagnado, council research director.
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 There are a lot of have and have-not markets.
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 Sales nationally rose 3.9% through July, the latest month
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 for which the figures are available,
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 the council said.
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 The Northern California earthquake and Hurricane Hugo are likely to temporarily damp sales growth in the West and South Carolina.
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 But Mr. Lagnado predicted 
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the regional trends would continue through Christmas.
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 The big mo is as much of a factor in retailing as in politics,
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 he said.
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 The Christmas quarter is important to retailers 
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because it represents roughly a third of their sales and nearly half of their profits.
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explanation-argumentative

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 The council's report is based on data 
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the trade group buys from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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 The information on 125 metropolitan markets is supplied by retailers such as Sears, Roebuck & Co. and K mart Corp. as well as closely held concerns such as R.H. Macy & Co.
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 The council plans to release its regional reports monthly.
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 Mr. Lagnado said 
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strength in employment appears to have the biggest impact on sales growth.
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 El Paso, Austin and Fort Worth, the three strongest retail markets in the nation, are all located in Texas,
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 where employment grew a relatively strong 2%.
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elaboration-object-attribute-e

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 Massachusetts,
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 which has lost jobs in the computer and defense-related industries,
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 was the weakest link in bleak New England.
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 The results reflect a reversal in the fortunes of the regions during the past two years.
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 In 1987, the West had the slowest sales growth,
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 and the South and the Midwest were first and second respectively,
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 according to the council.
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 Mr. Lagnado said 
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that
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 although retailers probably won't ever recover sales 
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lost 
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because of the California quake and Hurricane Hugo,
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 they could see some benefits later on.
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 Stores such as Sears 
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that sell big-ticket durable goods
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 might actually get a boost
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 as consumers rush to replace items 
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lost in the disasters,
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 he said.
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