Same Store Retail Sales Stagnant

The consumer just isn't spending as warm weather in the April 23 week helped lawn & garden as well as apparel sales but wasn't enough to lift total sales. Redbook's same-store sales tally came in at a same-store year-on-year rate of only 0.8 percent which is, however, up from an even more dismal 0.5 percent in the prior week. Easter adjustments always play havoc with retail sales data, putting the emphasis on the combined performance of April and March (which based on a weak March may not be that great).