The U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for March, which were adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $344.4 billion, a decrease of 1.1% (±0.5%) from the previous month and 9.4% (±0.7%) below March 2008.
Sales in the sporting goods, book and music stores sector were down less than 1% in March 2009 versus February 2009 at $7.3 billion and were down about 1.3% versus March 2008.
Retail trade sales were down 1.1% (±0.7%) from February 2009 and 10.7% (±0.7%) below last year. Gasoline stations sales were down 34.0% (±1.5%) from March 2008 and motor vehicle and parts dealers sales were down 23.5% (±2.3%) from last year.
