No Easter bump: retail sales down in March

[BlueGin]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The Easter Bunny brought a letdown to retailers this year, as sales slumped in March, marking a weak start to the spring shopping season.
Retail sales fell 0.4% in March, according to a report from the Census Bureau. Economists were expecting sales to be unchanged from February.

The decline was partly due to lower gas prices. But Americans also spent less on electronics and appliances, motor vehicles and goods at department stores.

It also coincides with cold weather and a lackluster job market. Hiring slowed and 500,000 people dropped out of the labor force in March, according to a separate report released by the Labor Department last week.

Retailers alone cut 24,000 jobs in March, even after the report was adjusted for seasonal trends.

Retail sales drop in March - Apr. 12, 2013

 

[tjvh]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The Easter Bunny brought a letdown to retailers this year, as sales slumped in March, marking a weak start to the spring shopping season.
Retail sales fell 0.4% in March, according to a report from the Census Bureau. Economists were expecting sales to be unchanged from February.

The decline was partly due to lower gas prices. But Americans also spent less on electronics and appliances, motor vehicles and goods at department stores.

It also coincides with cold weather and a lackluster job market. Hiring slowed and 500,000 people dropped out of the labor force in March, according to a separate report released by the Labor Department last week.

Retailers alone cut 24,000 jobs in March, even after the report was adjusted for seasonal trends.

Retail sales drop in March - Apr. 12, 2013

The decline was partly due to lower gas prices? Are you sure you didn't mean higher? I can't imagine that lower gas prices would cause people to shop less.

 

[BlueGin]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The Easter Bunny brought a letdown to retailers this year, as sales slumped in March, marking a weak start to the spring shopping season.
Retail sales fell 0.4% in March, according to a report from the Census Bureau. Economists were expecting sales to be unchanged from February.

The decline was partly due to lower gas prices. But Americans also spent less on electronics and appliances, motor vehicles and goods at department stores.

It also coincides with cold weather and a lackluster job market. Hiring slowed and 500,000 people dropped out of the labor force in March, according to a separate report released by the Labor Department last week.

Retailers alone cut 24,000 jobs in March, even after the report was adjusted for seasonal trends.

Retail sales drop in March - Apr. 12, 2013

The decline was partly due to lower gas prices? Are you sure you didn't mean higher? I can't imagine that lower gas prices would cause people to shop less.

I think they meant consumers bought less gas. That was how I read it anyway.

 

[Katzndogz]

A decline in prices around Easter should be expected in a country trying to stamp out Easter in the first place.

 

[BlueGin]

And one with 24,000 fewer retail jobs, which probably means some of the places consumers would usually shop are no longer in business.