US Retail Sales Experience Slight Increase Last Month, Comes Up Short of Expectations

CNN
Retail sales came in weaker than expected, another bad sign for the US economy

President Donald Trump’s whipsawing trade spat with America’s biggest trading partners has spurred high levels of uncertainty among consumers and businesses. That skittishness has been evident across many consumer surveys and now shoppers seem to be adjusting their purchasing behavior accordingly. Retail sales account for about a third of overall spending in the US.

Left
CNN
Reuters
US retail sales rebound moderately in February

U.S. retail sales rebounded in February, suggesting that the economy continued to grow in the first quarter, though at a moderate pace as tariffs on imports and mass firings of federal government workers weigh on sentiment. Retail sales rose 0.2% last month after a revised 1.2% decline in January, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said on Monday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales, which are mostly goods and are not adjusted for inflation, advancing 0.6% after a previously reported 0.9% drop in January.

Middle
Reuters
Newsmax
US Retail Sales Rebound Moderately in February

U.S. retail sales rebounded in February, suggesting that the economy continued to grow in the first quarter, though at a moderate pace as tariffs on imports and mass firings of federal government workers weigh on sentiment. Retail sales rose 0.2% last month after a revised 1.2% decline in January, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said on Monday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales, which are mostly goods and are not adjusted for inflation, advancing 0.6% after a previously reported 0.9% drop in January.

Right
Newsmax
Sponsored

Shipping Supplies in Stock at ULINE

From boxes & packing materials to tape & labels, we've got you covered. In stock & ships today.
View More

News Results

US February retail sales +0.2% vs +0.6% expected
"Our topline performance for the month was soft," Target CFO Jim Lee said at the start of March. He highlighted poor weather but said that "declining consumer confidenceimpacted our discretionary assortment overall" The control group is the best metric of consumer momentum and it rebounded nicely in February after a weak showing in January.
News Article Image
S&P 500: US Indices Slip Pre-Market as Volatility Rises Ahead of Retail Sales
S&P 500 and US indices slip in pre-market ahead of retail sales data. Investors brace for market volatility as Fed policy and economic concerns loom.
News Article Image
U.S. retail sales see modest rise, fall short of forecasts By Investing.com
Retail sales rose by 0.2% recently, a modest increase but significantly below the forecasted growth of 0.6%. This figure represents the total change in the value of sales at the retail level. The modest rise in retail sales suggests some level of recovery in consumer spending, which accounts for the majority of overall economic activity.
News Article Image
Retail Sales Disappoint In February, Despite Major Downward Revisions
February retail sales disappoint, rising just 0.2% MoM vs +0.6% exp. Food Services & Gas Stations saw the biggest drop in nominal sales. Non-store retailers (online) saw sales soar the most. On a non-seasonally-adjusted basis, retail sales are actually down YoY.
News Article Image
US shoppers modestly increased spending last month as concerns rise about economy
US shoppers modestly increased spending last month as concerns rise about economy. Retail sales rose just 0.2% in February, a small rebound after a sharp drop in January. Sales rose at grocery stores, home and garden stores, and online retailers. Sales fell at auto dealers, restaurants, and electronics stores.
News Article Image
Retail sales came in weaker than expected, another bad sign for the US economy
By Bryan Mena, CNN Washington (CNN) — Spending at US retailers last month was much weaker than expected, in a troubling sign that the American
News Article Image
US Retail Sales Rise by Less Than Forecast After January Drop
US retail sales rose by less than forecast in February and the prior month was revised lower, adding to concerns of a pullback in consumer spending.
News Article Image
Retail Sales Recovery Weaker Than Expected in Blow to Donald Trump
U.S. retail sales grew by 0.2 percent month-over-month in February, and up 3.1 percent from February 2024. This marks a recovery from January's figures, which were revised down from -0.9 percent to -1.2percent. But February's sales fell short of the 0.6 percent increase that had been forecast by analysts.
News Article Image
Retail sales increased 0.2% in February, though spending up less than expected
Retail sales increased 0.2% on the month, better than the downwardly revised decline of 1.2%. The so-called control group, which strips out noncore sectors, rose a better-than-expected 1%. The New York Fed's measure of factory activity in the region posted an unexpectedly sharp drop for March.
News Article Image
Retail sales came in weaker than expected, another bad sign for the US economy
Retail sales rose 0.2% in February from the prior month, the Commerce Department says. That was much lower than the 0.7% increase economists projected in a FactSet poll. President Donald Trump’s whipsawing trade spat has spurred high levels of uncertainty among consumers and businesses.
News Article Image
Retail sales increased 0.2% in February, though spending up less than expected
Retail sales increased 0.2% on the month, better than the downwardly revised decline of 1.2%. Excluding autos, the increase was 0.3%, in line with expectations. Online spending helped boost the sales number for the month; nonstore retailers reported a 2.4% increase.
News Article Image
February Retail Sales Decline 0.9% Year-Over-Year, But That’s Just Part Of The Story
Unadjusted, the biggest declines came in automobiles, the largest retail category at $125.4 billion. Food services and drinking places were down 2% to $87.3 billion.Bright spots were reported in non-store retail, the Census Bureau says. The retail and the food services industry generated $639.1 billion in February 2025, compared with $644.8 billion last year.
News Article Image
Sponsored

Shipping Supplies in Stock at ULINE

From boxes & packing materials to tape & labels, we've got you covered. In stock & ships today.
View More
;