### U.S. Retail Sales Increase in February Following January Decline
U.S. retail sales saw a modest increase of 0.2% in February, following a revised 1.2% decline in January, according to the Census Bureau. The drop in January marked the largest monthly decrease since November 2022.
February’s sales growth fell short of the Dow Jones estimate of 0.6%, as reported by CNBC. However, excluding automobile sales, the increase was 0.3%, aligning with expectations. On an annual basis, overall retail sales grew by 3.1%, surpassing the 2.8% inflation rate measured by the consumer price index.
The report on retail sales comes amid concerns about economic growth, particularly in light of ongoing trade tensions and tariffs affecting major U.S. trading partners. Economists worry that these tariffs could lead to higher inflation and slowed economic expansion.
“Consumers and businesses are expected to pull back on spending when they’re unable to make informed decisions about the future of the economy and their place within it,” said Elizabeth Renter, senior economist at personal finance site NerdWallet, in an interview with CNBC.
