U.S. store traffic may drop 13 percent, ShopperTrak says

U.S. retail store traffic may fall about 13 percent in the second quarter, matching a drop in the first, as consumers cut spending on discretionary purchases, according to research firm ShopperTrak RCT Corp.

Traffic will continue to slump even though this quarter includes Easter and Mother's Day, which usually spur spending, Chicago-based ShopperTrak said today in a statement.

"Shoppers were a bit spoiled by heavily discounted items during the holiday season, which could be influencing current spending patterns as they wait for these deep discounts to reappear," Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak, said in the statement.

ShopperTrak estimates retail sales dropped 2.8 percent last quarter, less than the 4 percent decline it predicted in January, and may fall 2.4 percent this quarter. Traffic also fell less than the 16 percent decline ShopperTrak had projected, helped by spring promotions on clothing.

U.S. unemployment reached 8.5 percent last month, its highest level in more than a quarter century, prompting consumers to limit spending on clothing and home goods.

The projected traffic decline for the first half would be the steepest since ShopperTrak started to gather the data in 2003.