Redbook retail sales, Greece comment

Hopefully it bounces back:

Redbook
redbook-4-18-table
Highlights
This year’s Easter shift, from late in April last year to early in April this year, is greatly distorting store sale comparisons. Redbook’s same-store year-on-year tally is up only 0.8 percent in the April 18 week following the prior week’s 1.1 percent rate which was also distorted by the calendar effect. When these distortions pass, store sales will likely return to their 3.0 to 3.5 percent pace.

This chart is for a full month last year vs this year. Remember, lower gas prices are supposed to increase sales:
redbook-monthly-yoy

ECB’s Constancio: default no reason to quit euro as Greece cash pinch worsens

By John O’Donnell and Jonathan Gould

April 19 (Reuters) — “If a default will happen … the legislation does not allow that a country that has a default … can be expelled from the euro,” ECB VP Vitor Constancio told the European Parliament, saying that Greek banks had been told not to increase their exposure to the state to avoid “a possible credit event regarding the state”. “Capital controls can only be introduced if the Greek government requests,” he said, adding that they should be temporary and exceptional. “As you saw in the case of Cyprus, capital controls did not imply getting out of the euro.”