• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, May 11, 2007

Everyone was expecting April sales data to disappoint. After all, Easter fell in March this year. It was too chilly in much of the country, which hurt sales of spring apparel. Gas prices are up again. And some retailers, including Target Corp., had even issued mid-month warnings that sales were falling short of expectations. Still, not many had predicted that lousy would actually translate to wretched.

While Wal-Mart Stores' nosedive of 4.6% in comparable-store sales is the most stunning, declines were widespread among most mass marketers, and even hot stores stumbled. Target's sales fell 6.1%, for example--and Kohl's, 10.5%.

Results in the teen retail category, one of the strongest mall performers, were exceptionally gruesome. American Eagle, for example, which had been looking for a modest gain, turned in sales that were down 10%, and at Abercrombie & Fitch, the decline was 15%. At Aeropostale, sales fell 14%. And if an overall of plunge of 16% wasn't bad enough at the Gap, same-store sales at its Old Navy fell a breathtaking 20%.

Department stores were weak. J.C. Penney, which had predicted flat results, instead posted a decline of 4.7%. Federated Department Stores' same-store sales fell 2.2%, with the company reporting disappointing performance at both the "new" Macy's, converted in its merger with May stores, and its legacy stores. The Limited, owner of Victoria's Secret and Bath and Body Works*, saw a sales decline of 1%.

Retail Forward, a consulting company that tracks retail sales, says its index of more than 50 retailers showed an overall decline of 1.5% in April from the prior month, compared to a 6.1% sales-weighted composite reported last month, and to a 6.7% composite reported in April of 2006, noting that warehouse clubs, dollar stores, and high-end department stores were the only retailers that managed increases.

"The early Easter hurt April sales, but the hurt is focused on retailers serving lower-income shoppers more so than upper-income shoppers," the company says. "Upper-income households continue to benefit from job and income gains, but lower-income households are taking the brunt of job losses and high fuel prices."

Upscale stores, which have been among the strongest sellers in recent months, were the bright spots. At Nordstrom, for example, same-store sales gained 3.1%; at Neiman Marcus 1%; and Saks Fifth Avenue, a hefty 11.7%.

* The article was corrected after publication to correct an error.