ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES FOR RETAIL AND FOOD SERVICES MARCH 2012

The U.S. Census Bureau announced that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for March, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $411.1 billion, an increase of 0.8 percent (±0.5%) from the previous month and 6.5 percent (±0.7%) above March 2011.  Total sales for the January through March 2012 period were up 6.4 percent (±0.5%) from the same period a year ago.  The January to February 2012 percent change was revised from 1.1 percent (±0.5) to 1.0 percent (±0.2%).