Consumers ignored the scary headlines and handwringing and went clothes shopping anyway in September, creating solid sales gains for the nation's biggest retailers.

Overall, chain-store sales rose 5.5% and luxury sales climbed 10.4%.

Another positive economic report this week showed businesses ordering more big-ticket items in August. If you

Businesses ordered more computers, communications equipment, and other big-ticket items in August, a hopeful sign for the slumping economy. Orders for capital goods, which are considered a good measure of business investment plans, rose 0.9 per cent in August, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. It was the second gain in three months.

(READ the AP story in Seattle P-I)