Us Retail Sales Fall For 3rd Straight Month In February As Auto Purchases Drop Sharply

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

Article by: CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER , Associated Press
Updated: March 12, 2015 - 8:10 AM

WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales fell in February, as auto purchases dropped by the most in more than a year and Americans spent less at restaurants and home improvement stores.

Retail sales fell 0.6 percent last month after a 0.8 percent decline in January, the Commerce Department said Thursday. It was the third straight retreat. Excluding the volatile categories of autos, gas, building materials and restaurants, sales were flat.

Freezing temperatures and snowstorms likely weighed on sales in February, as the bad weather kept Americans at home. In December and January, steep drops in gas prices dragged down sales. Gas station sales rose last month for the first time since May.

Yet the decline in sales also reflects ongoing consumer caution in the aftermath of the Great Recession. Sales fell 1.2 percent at electronics and appliances stores and by the same amount in a category that includes department stores and discount retailers such as Wal-Mart. Even restaurants, where business has improved noticeably in the past year, reported a 0.6 percent drop in sales.


Read more: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/296047911.html

[EEO]

1. Those home improvement stores are going to be mobbed soon.

This winter has created a lot of problems.