Seasonal

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Thursday by the National Retail Federation and conducted by BIGresearch found that spending on food, gifts and apparel is expected to increase this Easter.

According to NRF’s 2011 Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, the average consumer is expected to spend $131.04 on everything from candy to clothes -- up from last year’s $118.60, but still not quite meeting pre-recession spending levels.

Total spending on Easter-related merchandise is expected to reach $14.6 billion.

MEMPHIS — Fred's on Thursday reported a 3% increase in sales for the five weeks ended April 2, reaching $188.8 million.

Comparable-store sales for the month rose 0.7%, versus an increase of 3.6% in the same period last year.

New York City -- Although there were some same-store drops among the discount retail players in March, most beat Wall Street expectations and showed that shoppers are continuing to spend despite a less-than-ideal economic climate.

Costco Wholesale Club was a strong performer in March, beating analysts’ estimates with a 7% rise in same-store sales for the month, excluding fuel. Wall Street expected a 5.5% increase.

MONTREAL – U.S. discount-store operators should keep an eye on their Northern neighbors, as Canadian dollar stores continue to thrive. Anticipating their growth potential, Virginia-based Dollar Tree acquired Canada’s Dollar Giant Store in November 2010, adding 86 more stores to its repertoire and marking its first expansion outside of the United States.

New York City -- Showing that luxury is experiencing measurable bounce in the recovering economy, the higher-end department stores led the same-store sales pack in March.

Saks outperformed the rest of the category, recording an 11.1% same-store sales increase during the month. Total sales rose 9.2% to $260.2 million, compared with $238.2 million in the year-ago period.

MINNEAPOLIS --Same-store sales at Target declined 5.5% during March, in line with the company’s expectations for a down month due to the late arrival of Easter. The March decline is expected to be offset by strength in April with comps forecast to be in the teens.

Sidney, Neb. -- Cabela’s will open a store Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, in spring 2012. The 50,000-sq.-ft. store will be Cabela’s third store in Canada, joining locations in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a former S.I.R. Warehouse Sports Store acquired and converted in 2008, and Edmonton, Alberta, to open late this summer.

PURCHASE, N.Y. -- Most retail segments showed solid year-over-year retail growth in March, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and services sales.

Electronics sales and department stores showed modest gains while luxury and e-commerce recorded strong growth. Some segments of the restaurant sector also showed strength in March.