U.S. chain store retail sales fell in the latest week, as colder temperatures hurt demand for spring apparel, a retail report said on Tuesday.
Sales fell 1.0 percent in the week ended March 26, compared with a 0.2 percent increase the previous week, the International Council of Shopping Centers and UBS said in a joint report.
Compared with the same week a year ago, sales increased to a 4.5 percent after a 3.4 percent rise the preceding week. The higher year-on-year comparison resulted from extra sales over the Easter holiday, which fell much earlier in 2005 than in 2004.
