The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs reported that chain store sales surged 4.7% last week (2.3% y/y) to the highest level on record. The gain pulled March sales 2.6% above the February average which ticked up 0.1% from January. During the last ten years there has been a 61% correlation between the y/y change in chain store sales and the change in retail sales at general merchandise stores. That correlation recently has declined.

General merchandise store sales account for 15% of total retail sales. The ICSC-Goldman Sachs 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.

The chain store figures can be found in Haver's SURVEYW database.