The International Council of Shopping Centers said on Thursday that U. S. retail sales in March rose 9 percent over the same month a year ago.

It was further reported by the report that covers 31 retail chains that the Easter holiday, eight days earlier on the calendar this year, boosted sales at comparable stores between 4 percent and 5 percent, as the April 4 holiday pushed the bump in retail activity back to late March.

ICSC also said that favorable weather also helped. But sales improved year-over-year more than any month since March 1999, another year in which an early Easter was a factor.

Luxury store sales rose 14.2 percent in March as compared to the same month a year ago.

A 12.8 percent boost was seen by clothing stores from a year ago and discount store sales improved 10.7 percent.

The bump Easter provided for March would be missing in April this year, predicting sales would flat to down 3 percent this month, ICSC further noted. (With Inputs from Agencies)