Shoppers passed by the jewelry counter in January, delayed buying their favorite perfume and even skimped on buying clothes for their growing kids. If they looked at status handbags, they put them back on the shelf and walked away.

The dismal January sales that retailers reported Thursday foreshadow a cold spring as consumers worry about massive layoffs and their dwindling retirement funds. Bigger-than-expected declines crossed the spectrum from Gap Inc. to luxury retailer Saks and the Children's Place. Others, like Macy's and Limited Brands Inc., did better than forecast but still saw sales drops.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, was among the outliers, reporting sales gains that beat Wall Street's forecast. The discounter has benefited from consumers' focus on necessities like groceries and on finding cheaper options for other items.

"Consumers have only one focus today and that is survival," said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America's Research Group. "They only want to buy the things they have to have."

What's clear, he says, is that nothing these days is recession proof - even makeup. Estee Lauder Cos. reported a 30 percent drop in fiscal second-quarter profits as shoppers cut their spending on makeup, skin care and perfume. Chief Operating Officer Fabrizio Freda said he has noticed consumers are delaying purchases, especially in fragrances.

January sales at established stores fell 1.6 percent, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers-Goldman Sachs tally - not as bad as expected but still the fourth consecutive monthly decline. The index was helped by the better-than-expected results from Wal-Mart, which accounts for just over half the index.

Excluding Wal-Mart, sales fell 4.8 percent. The tally is based on same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year.

With the economy deteriorating, the ICSC's chief economist Michael P. Niemira expects sales to keep falling through at least spring.