Unseasonably warm temperatures across much of the country last month coupled with many consumers armed with holiday gift cards to spend were positives for many retailers last month. Jan. sales jumped 5.8% to $401.4 billion, according to monthly data released by the U.S. Census Bureau today. The sporting goods/hobby/book/music store segment posted an adjusted monthly sales increase of 4.3% to $7,473 million.

Of course, Mother Nature also served as a drag on sporting goods retail sales in Jan., particularly in outerwear and winter sports gear. Research firm Leisure Trends Group, pointing out that the nation’s ... Log in to view full article.