Same Store Retail Sales Resume Strength From Early In The Month

Same store sales were up 4.3 percent year-on-year in the May 26 week, recovering 1.1 percentage points from the prior week's sharp deceleration and resuming the strength seen in the earlier weeks of the month. Month-to-date sales versus the prior month were up 0.1 percent, while the full month year-on-year gain rose by 0.1 percentage points to 4.1 percent, the second strongest reading of the year. Sales results reported by retailers in Redbook's same store sample are back on track to place May as the strongest month of the year so far, pointing to strong ex-auto ex-gas retail sales for the month.