Stores Hope Spring Heats Up Sales

No more excuses. With the weather breaking this week, an early Easter and some pent-up consumer demand for spring goods, stores are betting on a lift in business in the coming weeks to help offset what’s been a tough winter and a generally depressed mood. If they don’t, something’s wrong with the presentation. Also in their favor — some healthy spring fashion selling in early February. Though it got cut short when much of the Northeast, South and Midwest got bombarded by snow and ice, the performance early last month is seen as a harbinger. The prom business (dresses generally,) ath-leisure and footwear, (particularly boots,) are seen as strong trends with staying power. Retailers also cite designer merchandise that’s unique and on the pricier side as selling well when the weather is tolerable, and on the hard goods side, home repair — after the damaging winter — is expected to be robust going forward. In addition, retail report cards will be aided by easy comparisons to a year ago, when March sales were widely negative or slightly up. For most retailers, February is the smallest volume month of the quarter, raising expectations for March and April. “With the weather breaking, we are going to

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