US DATA: ICSC sales for Apr 7 week: “The Sachs…….

US DATA: ICSC sales for Apr 7 week: “The ICSC-Goldman Sachs weekly
chain store sales index posted an encouraging 0.5% sequential weekly
gain for the latest week ending April 7, 2012. The current week’s sales
were helped by the lead]up to Easter. The ICSC-GS consumer tracking
survey found that consumers were shopping more at the mall, but less so
over the past week at factory outlet centers. That shift also seemed to
be supported by the shift towards more apparel stores visited this past
week by consumers as Easter was the likely catalyst for that segment’s
improvement. Discounters also gained some market share for the week.
Over the past week, temperatures continued to be unseasonably warm for
the nation, but less so than in prior weeks.”