May 15, 2007

May Off to a Good Start for RetailersBy Anne D'InnocenzioForbes.com

After struggling through April with one of the weakest performances on record, the nation’s retailers are enjoyed improved sales so far in May, helped by Mother’s Day shopping sprees and warmer weather, according to two reports which track industry sales.

Still, the outlook for consumer spending remains murky.

The International Council of Shopping Centers-UBS (nyse: UBS – news – people ) Index reported that same-store sales rose 0.8 percent for the week ended Saturday compared with the prior week, and rose 2.6 percent year-over-year.

The Johnson Redbook Retail Sales Index, which monitors same-store sales of 9,000 retail units, was up 2.7 percent for the week ended Saturday compared with the year-ago period.

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