Despite the recession talk fanning out from Washington and continued preoccupation with plunging consumer confidence, recent and upcoming U.S. store sales data point to a more moderate slowdown in the U.S. economy where consumers, while more cautious, are still willing to shop. The majority of chain stores are scheduled to release their January sales data Thursday, but preliminary tabulations indicate that retailers bounced back from what many were calling a dismal December where sales rose a scant 0.6%.