Same Store Retails Sales Accelerate

Redbook's same store sales were up 4.4 percent year-on-year in the March 31 week, accelerating by 0.8 percentage points from the prior week's pace to the strongest growth of the year. Month-to-date sales versus the prior month were up 0.4 percent , the best reading in 9 months, while the full month year-on-year gain also registered the strongest growth of the year by rising 0.3 percentage points to 3.5 percent. Impressive sales gains by retailers in Redbook's same store sample point to strong ex-auto ex-gas retail sales.