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Crude oil prices slide Wednesday
The gain of 0.3 percent is an improvement over from the previous week when retail store sales declined 0.6 percent.
On a year-over-year basis sales grew 1.6 percent on the week, the report said.
Figures for the month of February, however, showed a sales gain of 1.9 percent, "way ahead of expectations for the industry," the report said.
February sales figures were pushed by a 2.6 percent monthly increase at Wal-Mart.
The association that tracks retail spending in chain stores expected a 2 percent gain in March's spending, chief economist Michael P. Niemira said.
