Retail sales had one of 'wettest' weeks

WASHINGTON, March 15 (UPI) -- U.S. retail sales receipts at chain stores rose 0.1 percent last week, the International Council of Shopping Centers said Tuesday.

Weekly sales rose marginally over the previous week and were 3.1 percent higher than they were in the same week of 2010.

The trade group said sales at wholesale clubs and drugstores did well but "discretionary-type spending at apparel and department stores seemingly was weaker."

"A storm early in the week brought flooding rain to much of the East and up to 3 feet of snow in the mountains of the Northeast," Weather Trends International said.

A storm later in the week curtailed shopping in Kansas.

The two storms "combined to make this the wettest second retail week of March in more than 19 years across the East," the weather tracking agency said.