NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are finally spending a little more, but they're playing hard to get.

A tally of sales at top stores managed a gain in September for the first time in more than a year. It was a pleasant surprise for retailers, but analysts say shoppers still aren't coming in the door unless they see deep discounts.

The increase in the sales figure from the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs on Thursday was small — just 0.1 percent — yet significant because many analysts expected sales to keep falling, as they had since August 2008.

By regular measures, it was a weak month. In the previous five Septembers, sales rose an average of 2.6 percent compared with the year before.