by Calculated Risk on 3/13/2007 08:32:00 AM

From the Census Bureau:

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for February, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $370.5 billion, an increase of 0.1 percent from the previous month and up 3.2 percent from February 2006. Total sales for the December 2006 through February 2007 were up 3.7 percent from the same period a year ago. The December 2006 to January 2007 percent change was unrevised from 0.0 percent.

From MarketWatch: U.S. retail sales rise 0.1% in February on cars, gas

U.S. retail sales stayed soft in February, rising just 0.1% after no gain in January, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Sales were led by a solid 0.9% rise in auto sales and a 1.2% rise in gasoline station sales, which was boosted by higher prices at the pump. Sales were weaker than Wall Street's expectations for 0.2% gains for both overall sales and for sales excluding autos. Sales elsewhere were weak. Sales excluding autos fell 0.1%, the first decline since October. And excluding both cars and gasoline sales, retail sales fell 0.3%, the largest decline since April 2004.