Key Points:
- Retail sales, a measure of purchases at stores, restaurants and online, rose 0.2% in February, up from a downward revised 1.2% decrease in January.
- Consensus was a gain of 0.7%.
- Excluding autos, retail sales rose by 0.3% over the month.
- Retail sales were 3.1% above February 2024 but CPI data released earlier this month showed prices have increased 2.8% in the last year.
- Retail sales are not adjusted for inflation and reflect price differences as well as purchase amounts.
- Total sales for the December 2024 through February 2025 period were up 3.8% from the same period a year ago.
- The Right Facts will continue to monitor retail sales.