U.S. retail sales seen down 1.8 pct in '09: ICSC

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. retail sales could fall 1.8 percent in 2009, but rebound to rise 3.3 percent in 2010, the International Council of Shopping Centers forecast on Wednesday.

That would follow a decline of 0.9 percent in 2008, the group said.

"Business cycle history suggests a severe downturn in the economy is most likely to be followed by a sharp recovery," the ICSC stated in a presentation provided to the media.

U.S. retailers just completed their worst holiday shopping season in nearly four decades, according to the ICSC, as a crumbling housing market, rising unemployment and decreased access to credit curbed consumers' ability to spend.

The difficult conditions are expected to persist for retailers well into 2009.

(Reporting by Nicole Maestri; Editing by Andre Grenon)