Luxury goods continued to leap from Neiman Marcus' racks into overflowing shopping bags as this high-end retailer led our list of Top 10 Performers. ..."Sheer" magic as over the counter sales of under spring outfits busted out at Victoria Secret aiding its parent, Limited Brands, to share the rarified position of our best category. ... Bebe and Chicos matched the fashion flair of women wanting a "new" seasonal color palate. ...Filenes continued to please value driven consumers while Nordstrom dominated the middle of the road shoppers. ...Children enjoyed being dragged along by Mom's wanting their "angels" to greet the return of sunshine with clothes that make them smile.

Double digit negative comps last year, the result of a later Easter holiday, made all the more dramatic the double digit increases this year. ...Between the impact of the Easter holiday, a strong appetite for its spring fashion assortments and aggressive promotional activity, Stein Mart led the way for the most improved. ...Even the "guys" joined the parade to new fashion this spring, flocking to S&K Brands (net of accounting alterations for alterations), after the kids got theirs at The Children's Place. ...After Bath and Body pampering, slipping into a Secret from Victoria, it seemed like a good idea to Stage a shopping spree at the May or with an old friend AnnTaylor, lifting these shopping destinations to rise to most improved status.

How deep can a Wet Seal dive is the question as comps fell 21% after falling 27% last year, leading our bottom 10. ... Speaking from first-hand experience, deep discounts failed to deliver black numbers for Wilson's Leather comps. ...One year removed from the war and the focus on hearth and home, the consumer nesting appears to have waned with both Bombay and Hancock Fabrics making an appearance on our list. ...Still struggling with its merchandising, Christopher & Banks posted its sixth consecutive month of negative comps, earning its way on to our list of bottom retailers. ...Clearing inventories in the last few months, Mother's had sated their shopping urges. ...Plus size shoppers found United Retail and Cathereine's to be minuses, staying away from these stores in March in favor of more fashionable offerings. ...Send in the clowns, or at least send them to buy new shoes in an effort to spur Shoe Carnival out of its shoe doldrums.

Not really "falling stars" Bombay and Sharper Image are showing the effects of stellar March 2003 performances when consumers focused on home and hearth. ...Also falling into the category of tough comparisons (and reflecting the fairly strong March performances for most retailers), The Gap, Goody's, Family Dollar and Fred's made our list with only a slight deceleration in comp growth. ...Not so the case with Kohls, which continues to falter under the pressure of Wal-Mart's onslaught.

Fashion flowed off shelves and racks, for the fourth consecutive month, as Apparel and Department Stores tweaked the interest of shoppers seeking a "spring"ling of new looks. Color crammed windows and drove traffic across the threshold and few left without pausing at checkout counters for plastic processing. ...Unfortunately while these feet were made for walking, new footwear was not high on their list for wardrobe improvement. ...Consumer electronics and home furnishings softened as temperatures rose and winter hibernation ended. ...While age and illness lifted script activity at drugstores that also enjoyed front-end comp growth, the industry landscape was significantly altered by the sale of Eckerd to Jean Coutu and CVS. ...Although not spectacular, Mass Merchants continued their solid performances as value remained in vogue.