· The International Council of Shopping Centers reported, in its ICSC-UBS Chain Store survey, that sales recovered 0.9% last week after the prior period's 0.7% slip.

· So far in April, sales have risen 1.0% from March after sales were about unchanged during that month.

· During the last ten years there has been a 45% correlation between the y/y change in chain store sales and the change in nonauto retail sales less gasoline.

· The ICSC-UBS retail chain-store sales index is constructed using the same-store sales (stores open for one year) reported by 78 stores of seven retailers: Dayton Hudson, Federated, Kmart, May, J.C. Penney, Sears and Wal-Mart.

· During the latest week the leading indicator of chain store sales from ICSC-UBS slipped 0.1% (-2.1% y/y) after the 0.6% decline during the prior week.

· The chain store sales figures are available in Haver's SURVEYW database.