SmallBusinessNewz

It's always nice to end the week on an upbeat note, and today, some positive news regarding retail sales in March comes courtesy of the National Retail Federation.  It turns out sales went up a little bit compared to February 2010 and rather a lot since March of last year.

Let's start with the more recent timeframe.  Retail industry sales went up 0.9 percent between February and March, according to the NRF (seasonally adjusted and not including sales related to autos, gas stations, and restaurants).  As for what occurred on a year-over-year basis, sales increased an impressive 5.7 percent.

Rosalind Wells, the NRF's chief economist, observed in a statement, "It's evident consumers were feeling much better about the economy and their finances last month.  Pent up demand combined with an early Easter and warm Spring weather significantly boosted consumers' moods and retail sales."

Anyway, at this rate, retailers might be able to leave the recession behind in no time at all.

And if you're curious, businesses dealing in apparel, home goods, outdoor equipment, and furniture will probably be at the head of the pack, because the NRF determined they're experiencing the biggest increases.