Dive Summary:

• Same-store sales figures for many of the largest U.S. retailers are scheduled to be released Thursday.
• The most recent projection from Retail Metrics is that overall sales will rise 3.5%, a marked improvement upon recent monthly sales figures.
• In 2012, same-store sales rose 0.8% for the month of April. Specialty apparel stores are expected to see the largest gains, according to sources.

From the article:

Retail Metrics notes that lower prices for gasoline, an extra shopping day, and generally better news on the U.S. economy helped drive sales in April. Late snow and cold temperatures in parts of the country, the payroll tax increase, and the effects of the sequester acted as drags on sales.