The September retail sales figures are in, and it’s better than expected. But can these results be turned around into a holiday “win” for retail exchange traded funds (ETFs)?

Why analysts predicted a 1% decline, sales actually rose 0.6%. Discounts and bargains have helped lure the shy-to-spend consumer, reports Rachel Dodes for The Wall Street Journal.

Ultimately, September sales numbers monitored stores open for at least one year, and this report is a key measure of retailer’s health and consumer spending. Will the positive numbers translate into a merry holiday season for retailers? Yes and no.

Retailers are predicting that they’ll see a 1% drop in sales over the holidays. But this is also an improvement over last year’s dismal showing, when sales dropped 3.4%, the Associated Press reports. Consumer confidence is higher than it was a year ago, and shoppers may be more willing to spend.

• SPDR S&P Retail (NYSEArca: XRT): up 71.1% year-to-date

• Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLY) up 28.5% year-to-date

• Claymore/Robb Report Global Luxury (NYSEArca: ROB) up 42.6% year-to-date

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Tags: Consumer Discretionary, Retail, ROB, Sector ETFs, XLY, XRT