WASHINGTON (MNI) – The following recaps the ICSC-Goldman Sachs
and the Johnson Redbook April tally for same-store sales:

Johnson-Redbook:

Our 22 company Johnson Redbook Same-store (April) Sales Index (SSI)
was up 0.6% following a 4.1% gain in March and a 4.0% gain in February.
One double-digit gainer was Zumiez, +10%. Among retailers, 59% posted
positive gains and 41% posted negative results.

Sales Growth by Store Format

Same-Store Sales Total Sales

SSI* Apparel Dept Disc Club Drug Misc All-store

By month yoy%

Apr-12 0.6 3.4 0.6 1.1 4.0 -4.1 5.0 2.2
Mar-12 4.1 8.5 5.9 7.0 6.0 -4.4 14.0 6.1
Feb-12 4.0 7.2 3.8 6.7 8.0 -2.3 20.0 6.2
Jan-12 2.7 4.0 2.3 4.1 8.0 -3.0 15.0 4.1
Dec-11 3.5 4.6 3.4 1.6 7.0 1.3 19.0 4.6
Nov-11 2.9 1.9 0.2 1.8 9.0 1.8 13.0 3.9
Oct-11 3.7 1.1 1.8 3.3 9.0 2.7 8.0 5.0
Sept-11 5.5 2.9 3.9 5.2 12.0 2.7 14.0 7.3
Aug-11 4.8 1.0 1.5 4.0 11.1 4.7 32.0 7.2
Jul-11 4.6 2.3 3.5 4.0 9.9 2.5 15.0 7.0
Jun-11 6.9 5.0 6.2 4.4 13.2 4.0 4.0 8.8
May-11 5.4 1.3 4.2 2.7 12.3 4.3 17.0 7.5

3m avg 2.9 6.5 3.6 5.1 6.0 -3.6 12.7 4.9

—

ICSC-Goldman Sachs

U.S. chain-store sales rose by 0.6% on a year-over-year basis
according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). The
April performance was held back due to the earlier Easter this year than
last (April 8, 2012 vs. April 28, 2011) and abnormally warm weather in
March that pulled demand forward. On a two month basis the March-April
sales pace was relatively steady with the fiscal year-to-date trend.

“Overall, the tone for April was slightly softer than recent
months, but on a two-month basis sales remain healthy,” said Michael P.
Niemira, vice president of research and chief economist for ICSC. “There
are two contributing factors which hindered sales for this month, first
Easter arriving earlier and abnormally warm temperatures which drove
sales in March. Secondly, Walgreen’s is no longer a part of the Express
Scripts Network causing their sales to plummet by 8.9%, impacting total
retail sales,” concluded Niemira.

ICSC expects that May sales will increase about 3.0%.

—

–TJX; +6%; 1st quarter +8%; Results “well ahead of expectations,”
and was “broad-based,” with U.S. business outperforming, driven by a
“significant increases in customer traffic.”

–Kohl’s: +0.2% for both the month and the quarter; “Warm March
weater and an early Easter, contributed to a decline in April’s sales.”

–Sak’s: +2.0%; 1st Quarter +4.8%; Strongest categories included
women’s contemporar apparel, and men’s accessories, shoes and
contemporary apparel.

–Nordstrom: +7.1% for the month, +8.5% for the quarter.

–Neiman Marcus: +6.7% in April; +17.5% for the quarter. Top
categories, women’s apparel and handbag, jewelry.

–Gap: -2% for the month, +4% for the quarter; Gap North America
+5%; Banana Republic North American +5%; Old Navy North America +4%.

–Macy’s: +1.2%; +4.4% for the quarter; Sales “met expectations.”
April sales “were planned to be weaker than in March, given the calendar
shift.”

–Target: +1.1%; +5.3% for the quarter; “strongest quarterly
comparable-store sales performance in more than 6 years.”

–Costco (Wednesday): +4% for April.

–editor: Denny Gulino denny@marketnews.com 202-371-9464

** MNI Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 **

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