The weather did little to keep shoppers away from drugstores, which had a 6.6% increase as a group. Walgreens rose 8.6%, while CVS followed with a 7% jump. Rite Aid's results were a bit lower, at a 2.2% shift up.
Department stores, rising 2.1%, were not nearly as successful as they were in January, when comparable sales increased 6.7%. Dillards dropped 9%, while J.C. Penney fell 0.2%. Luxury consumers were not apparently as impacted by the weather, though, given a 9.1% jump at Nordstrom.
Apparel chains were hit the hardest, dropping 0.8% as a group. Abercrombie & Fitch fell 6%, while Chico's slid 4.3% and Gap Inc. chains were down 4%. Limited Brands' chains fared the best in the survey, with a 3% increase.
Discount stores, inching up 1.5% as a group, were mixed. Target turned in a 5.7% jump and Dollar General rose 4.9%. But industry leader Wal-Mart barely increased, at 0.4%, and Family Dollar fell 0.4%.
The ICSC research team expects a 4% year over year increase by retailers during the month of March.
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