Chain Store Sales Up 2% in March

Washington, DC, April 8, 2011 -- U.S. chain-store sales posted a 2.0 percent year-over-year comparable-store gain for March 2011 according to the International Council of Shopping Centers

"Sales for the month of March were on the high side of our expectations despite the negative impact of the Easter-date shift and less than favorable weather conditions in parts of the country," said Michael P. Niemira, chief economist and director of research for ICSC.

"This gain, in the face of somewhat adverse factors, was encouraging and reflected a solid underlying trend in consumer demand."