Same Store Retail Sales Climb, But Slower Week-To-Week

Same store sales were up 2.6 percent year-on-year in the April 21 week, decelerating by 0.4 percentage points from the prior week to match the slowest pace of the year. Month-to-date sales versus the prior month also showed slower growth though they were still up 0.3 percent, but the full month year-on-year gain in sales declined to 2.8 percent, which matched the February 10 week for the slowest pace of this year. The sales growth deceleration reported by retailers in Redbook's same store sample in the April weeks points to slower growth in ex-auto ex-gas retail sales.