WASHINGTON, April 8 (UPI) -- U.S. retail sales in March rose 9 percent over the same month a year ago, the International Council of Shopping Centers said Thursday.
The report that covers 31 retail chains estimated the Easter holiday, eight days earlier on the calendar this year, boosted sales at comparable stores between 4 percent and 5 percent, as the April 4 holiday pushed the bump in retail activity back to late March.
Favorable weather also helped, ICSC said. But sales improved year-over-year more than any month since March 1999, another year in which an early Easter was a factor.
In March, luxury store sales rose 14.2 percent, compared to the same month a year ago. Clothing stores saw a 12.8 percent boost from a year ago and discount store sales improved 10.7 percent.
ICSC said the bump Easter provided for March would be missing in April this year, predicting sales would flat to down 3 percent this month.
