Washington, DC, March 13, 2007--Retail rose 0.1% in February after remaining flat 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.
