MW:Feb. retail sales climb 1.1% to hit 5-month high
By Steve Goldstein
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Retail sales climbed to a five-month high in February, as rising gasoline prices weren't enough to choke off demand for cars, clothing and other goods. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 1.1% to $407.8 billion in February, and January retail sales were revised higher to show a 0.6% advance instead of an initially reported 0.4% rise. Excluding autos, sales climbed 0.9%. Economists polled by MarketWatch had anticipated a 1.2% gain for the headline index and a 0.7% advance for retail sales excluding autos.
