Retail Sales Rise 0.6% in February

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

etail sales rose 0.6% in February, the Commerce Department said Thursday, while January's sales were revised to a 0.2% gain from a 0.3% decline.

Almost all trucking operations depend on the health of retail sales because such sales involve nearly every type of cargo.

Commerce also said that excluding autos, sales were unchanged at $249.9 billion, after a 1.2% increase in January that was higher than first estimated.

Economists told Bloomberg that higher tax refunds are giving consumers more money to spend now. The average tax refunds Americans have received so far this year is $2,182, up 4.4% from a year earlier, the Internal Revenue Service said.

ommerce said sales at automobile dealerships and parts stores rose 2.7% last month, the biggest gain since March 2003, after a decline of 3% in January.

Sales at general merchandise stores, which include department stores, rose 1.3% last month, while sales at building material and garden supply stores were unchanged in February.

Receipts at service stations fell 0.1% last month after a 2.8% rise in January.

11231