Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–April 16, 2012. The Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau released retail sales data (PDF) for March 2012 this morning. Retail and food services sales were $411.1 billion, growing 0.8 percent from February to March 2012 and increasing 6.5 percent from one year earlier. This exceeds private-sector forecasts of an 0.3 percent monthly increase. Excluding automobiles, retail and food services sales in March were $338.1 billion, up 0.8 percent from February (compared with private sector expectations for 0.5 percent) and up 6.1 percent from March 2011.
