March retail sales surge higher than expected

Americans boosted spending at a hotter-than-expected pace in March, underscoring how shoppers remain resilient despite inflationary pressures and other economic challenges.

Retail sales rose 0.7% last month — almost double what economists had forecast — after rising 0.9% in February, according to Commerce Department data released Monday. The February figure was revised upward. That comes after sales fell 1.1% in January, dragged down in part by inclement weather. Excluding gas prices, retail sales still rose a solid at 0.6%.

The national average gas price Monday was $3.63 per gallon, per AAA, up 6 cents from a week ago, and up 19 cents from last month, but they’re still 3 cents below where they were at this point last year.

The snapshot offers only a partial look at consumer spending and doesn’t include many services, including travel and hotel lodges. But the lone services category — restaurants — registered an uptick of 0.4%.

Government retail data isn’t adjusted for inflation, which ticked up 0.4% from February to March, according to the latest government report. So retailers had a solid sales gain accounting for inflation.

“Retail sales aren’t increasing just because prices are going up,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate. “Americans are actually buying more stuff. This is one of the strongest retail sales reports we’ve seen in the past couple of years.”

Futures jumped seconds after the retail report landed, while bond prices slipped.

Sales at general merchandise stores rose 1.1%, while online sales was up 2.7%. Department stores had a 1.1% decline.

A strong jobs market and rising wages have fueled household spending, which has become choppy in the face of rising credit costs and higher prices.

Employers delivered another strong report in March, adding 303,000 workers and fueling hopes that the economy can plow through higher prices without succumbing to a recession despite high interest rates.