SmallBusinessNewz

However many other reports and statistics you've seen regarding the economy in April, here's an additional set to take into consideration: the National Retail Federation has found that U.S. sales improved by a significant amount on both a month-to-month and year-over-year basis.


The NRF thinks sales increased 0.5 percent since March of this year, which isn't bad given the kinds of decreases everyone has grown to fear.  But it also believes that an increase of 4.6 percent occurred since last April, which is quite impressive.

Rosalind Wells, the NRF's chief economist, said in a statement as a result, "Spring shopping and seasonal weather helped boost sales last month.  Spending on discretionary items had fallen by the wayside these last few years and we are encouraged to see consumers dipping into that pot once again."

Specifically, building material and garden equipment stores experienced the biggest increases in sales, with health and personal care companies following not too far behind.

Hopefully the data concerning May will follow a similar pattern, even if the weather has seemed a little iffy in a few parts of the country as of late.