By Mark Pender

NEW YORK (MNI) - MNI's U.S. retail trade index jumped 3.3 points in the March 6 period to a very strong 59.6, reflecting building year-on-year gains and pointing to a strong month-on-month surprise for the February retail sales report, according to Market News International's weekly survey.

Total sales are at +4.0% year-on-year with same-store sales at +1.3%. Income is at +17%. Sample size in the latest period is 203 chains making up 163,000 U.S. retail locations.

By Mark Pender

NEW YORK (MNI) - MNI's U.S. retail trade index rose 2.2 points in the Feb. 27 period to a very strong 56.3, reflecting tangible year-on-year gains and pointing to a month-to-month gain for February, according to Market News International's weekly survey released Monday.

Total sales in MNI's sample are steady at a year-on-year +3.8% with same-store sales also steady at +0.8%. Strength is widely distributed with 19% of the sample reporting gains of 10% or more in same-store sales.

By Mark Pender

NEW YORK (MNI) - MNI's U.S. retail trade index came in at 54.1 in the Feb. 20 period, down 3.1 points but reflecting still solid year-on-year gains and pointing to a solid month-to-month gain for February, according to Market News International's weekly survey.

Total sales in MNI's sample are at a year-on-year +3.8% with same-store sales at +0.8%. Income is +9%. Sample size is 171 chains making up 136,200 retail locations.

By Mark Pender

NEW YORK (MNI) - MNI's U.S. retail trade index rose 3.2 points in the Feb. 13 period to 57.2 indicating accelerating year-on-year gains and pointing to a month-to-month gain for February, according to Market News International's weekly survey.

Total sales in MNI's sample are at a year-on-year +4.5% with same-store sales at +2.0%. Income is at +12% with two chains reporting big gains for every one reporting a big decline. Sample size is 146 chains making up 131,900 retail locations.

NEW YORK (MNI) - MNI's U.S. retail trade index rose four full points in the Feb. 6 period to 54.0, indicating tangible year-on-year gains for the sector and an upshift in the adjusted trend, according to Market News International's weekly survey.

Total sales in MNI's sample are at a year-on-year +3.9% with same-store sales at +1.0%.

Results from the period's sample, based on 161 chains making up 138,900 retail locations, are strongly indicating month-to-month gains outside high-end expectations.

After rounding, indications from this sample point to +1.

Written by Mark Pender

NEW YORK (MNI) - MNI's U.S. retail trade index edged up in the Jan. 30 period to hit the 50.0 level for the second time in four weeks, indicating no year-on-year change in the sector's business conditions which, given easy comparisons and generous adjustments, point to big month-to-month gains for the January retail sales report, according to Market News International's weekly survey.

By Mark Pender

NEW YORK (MNI) - MNI's U.S. retail trade index rose half a point in the Jan. 23 period to 49.3, indicating roughly flat year-on-year conditions that, when looked at on a month-to-month basis, point to a solid rise for the January retail sales report, according to Market News International's weekly survey.

By Mark Pender

NEW YORK (MNI) - Ending eight straight weeks of gains, MNI's U.S. retail trade index slipped 1.2 points in the Jan. 16 period to 48.8, indicating slightly negative year-on-year business conditions in the sector, according to Market News International's weekly survey.