Grocery Stocks: Retail Data Leave Aftertaste

Grocery-chain stocks were mixed Tuesday as investors digested the latest retail data.

The Commerce Department said Tuesday that retail sales fell 1.1% in March, which according to The Associated Press is the largest decline in three months. Analysts had predicted a 0.3% uptick.

The report did nothing to help retailers like Wal-Mart(WMT Quote), which dropped 0.8% to close at $51.12 Tuesday, or Costco(COST Quote), which fell 2.3% to $45.35.

Among other losers:

BJ's Wholesale Club(BJ Quote), which announced it would begin accepting government-issued food stamp benefits via Electronic Benefit Transfer payments at all of its 180 stores, fell 4.8% to $30.30.

Whole Foods(WFMI Quote) fell 2.5% to $17.94.

Safeway(SWY Quote) fell 2% to $19.72.

Supervalu (SVU Quote) fell 0.4% to $14.10.

Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea(GAP Quote) fell 5.3% to $6.21.

Two stocks defied gravity, however. Kroger(KR Quote) shares rose 1.4% to $20.80. And Winn Dixie(WINN Quote) rose 1.2% to $9.65.