American shoppers handed most retailers their most dismal March in 13 years, according to a report on the AP news wire.

As retailers reported sales results on Thursday, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp. were among the few winners, as shoppers stuck to basics. Wal-Mart raised its earnings outlook, noting that better inventory control helped to limit markdowns on merchandise. It also said that April sales should top prior expectations.
But March proved to be bleak for most others, including J.C. Penney Co., Gap Inc., and Limited Brands Inc. All of them reported sharp drops in sales. Even high-end department stores like Saks Inc., languished; Saks noted that jewelry and designer women’s apparel were among the weakest areas.

Bill Bonner is gloomy about US stocks.

“Our guess is that they’ll be taken down - either by inflation or deflation, or both. Prices will fall either in nominal terms, in other words, or relative terms. Already, adjust the Dow to the price of gold, or wheat, or oil, or copper and you get a very different picture. Instead of being flat over the last 10 years…the Dow is down a half to two-thirds.”