U.S. Retail Sales Hit $210 Billion Level in March 1997

                         August 7, 1997
                         
                         
               U.S. retail sales hit $210 billion level in March 1997
                         
                    MIDDLETOWN, Pa. -- Retail sales in the U.S. hit
               the $210 billion mark in March.

                    Statistics compiled by the Pennsylvania State Data
               Center at Penn State Harrisburg place March sales for all
               retail stores in the U.S. at an estimated $210.2 billion -- an
               estimated 5.4 percent increase from March, 1996, and a
               14.5 percent increase from February 1997.

                    Sales of durable goods reached $87 billion in
               March, a jump from the previous month of 15.3 percent
               and an increase of 5.4 percent from March, 1996. 
               Automotive dealer sales totaled $55 billion in March, 1997,
               a 4.2 percent increase from the previous year.  Building
               materials sales were $11 billion, a 12.7 percent increase
               from last March.

                    The sales of nondurable goods hit $123.2 billion in
               March, 1997, a 14 percent increase from February, 1997,
               figures and a 5.4 percent boost from March, 1996, the
               Data Center reports.

                    Food store sales totaled $36.2 billion in March, a
               3.6 percent increase from the previous year and a 12.1
               percent increase from the previous month.

                    The year-to-year changes for the major categories
               of business ranged from the building materials group,
               which increased by 12.7 percent with sales of $11 billion,
               to the furniture group stores, which rose by 2.9 percent,
               with sales of $10.9 billion.
               
                    The state-sponsored Pennsylvania State Data Center
               is the Commonwealth's official source of population and
               economic statistics and services. It is based at Penn State
               Harrisburg's Institute of State and Regional Affairs.

               __________________________________________
               Editors:  For more information, contact Jennifer Shultz at
               the Pennsylvania State Data Center,  (717) 948-6336, or
               the Penn State Harrisburg's Public Information Office,
               (717) 948-6029.
               
Source of Information:	U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly Retail
			Trade
			
Accompany Chart:        Monthly Retail Sales by Business, March 1997