April retail sales are largely flat sequentially but show annual growth, report Commerce and NRF

Retail sales growth in April were largely flattish sequentially while showing annual gains, according to data released by the National Retail Federation and the United States Department of Commerce today.

Commerce reported that April retail sales at $434.6 billion were up 0.1 percent compared to March and up 4.0 percent compared to March 2013, and excluding automobiles, retail and food services sales in April came in at $347.5 billion, which was flat sequentially and up 2.7 percent annually. Total retail sales from February through April are up 3.3 percent annually.

The NRF said that April retail sales, which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants, were flat on a seasonally-adjusted and sequential basis, while seeing a 4.7 percent unadjusted annual increase.

To read the complete article, please click here.