U.S. retail sales slip in April, plus consumer sentiment, port volume and CFO survey results

<p>U.S. retail sales slumped in April, dropping by -.4 percent compared to March -- and </p> <p>by -10.1 percent compared to April 2008, the U.S. Commerce Dept. reported today.</p> <p>Those sales figures counter the trends around the globe that we showed you <a href="/news-item/913/data-sets-march-global-retail-sales" target="_blank" rel="noopener">yesterday</a>: many nations where action sports companies trade are seeing small upticks in retail sales, but below the robust levels of past years.</p>