NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Retail sales rose an anemic 2.8 percent in November, although there is little evidence those numbers represent an early indication of a poor Holiday shopping season, according to a study.

Shoppertrak said the increase reported in the study released Monday compared last month's U.S. retail sales against November 2003.

While the increase is the second smallest reported for any month the entire year, the retail industry research company said it was too early to draw any conclusions on the strength of the overall holiday shopping period.

"The holiday shopping season, thus far, has been choppy and overall sales performance will be difficult to determine until further into the season," Shoppertrak quoted Michael Niemira, chief economist and director of research for the International Council of Shopping Centers, as saying in its press release. "We should get a clearer picture of retail performance following the Saturday before Christmas, which is typically one of the largest retail shopping days of the year."

On a positive note, Shoppertrak said sales for the week ended December 4, rose 9.3 percent compared to the previous week ended November 27.

However, it also said sales for the same week were 3.1 percent below the same week a year earlier.