1.   The drop surprised many analysts, who had generally expected a flat number.

2.   The drop surprised traders who were expecting a seasonal slowdown in demand to ease the rate of decline and maybe cause an increase.

3.   The drop surprised some retail analysts who regard Gap as one of the best-managed apparel companies in the nation.

4.   The drop surprised statisticians.

5.   The drop in prices surprised some traders, who expected that tight markets would lead to higher prices.

6.   The drop surprised analysts who had estimated sales rose modestly last month.

7.   The drop surprised many small retail investors, who thought share prices would track the gains in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.