Weekly retail sales slip 0.8 percent

WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) -- U.S. retail sales receipts fell 0.8 percent in the week ending Saturday, a national trade group said.

The International Council of Shopping Centers in Washington said the fiscal month of May began "on a soft note as there were few catalysts for spending in the past week."

With few notable outside influences at play consumers spent more on groceries during the week and less on discretionary spending.

That could change with Mother's Day fast approaching, the trade group said.

Sales were up 3.3 percent from the same week a year earlier, ICSC said.