Retail Sales Increase at Slower Pace in April

New York, NY, May 7, 2010--The nation's retail recovery continued at a slower pace in April, according to Thomson Reuters' tally of 28 retailers.

Sales at major chain stores increased 0.5% compared with the same month a year earlier, which was below the 1.7% increase that analysts had projected.

An earlier Easter this year and poor weather in some parts of the country led to weaker sales than in March, when retail sales soared 9.1 percent.

Because of the Easter shift, industry experts said that it was important to look at the combined March-April period. For the two months together, sales rose a healthy 4.8 percent, Thomson Reuters said.

Shopping centers and retailers say they're encouraged by the steady return of many consumers.