WASHINGTON, April 21 (UPI) -- Retail sales in the United States fell last week, the International Council of Shopping Centers-USB reported Tuesday.
Sales declined 0.4 percent from the previous week and fell 0.1 percent compared to the same week of 2008, the report said.
ICSC attributed a portion of the decline to a shift in the Easter holiday, which fell on March 23 a year ago and April 12 this year.
The past week saw a decline in customer traffic at discount and specialty stores, such as book and jewelry stores, ICSC said.
Slightly cooler temperatures compared to a year ago contributed to the decline.
Gasoline prices, while down from a year ago, have begun to rise, reaching $2.059 per gallon in the United States on April 20, the highest since Nov. 11, 2007, the report said.
