Retail sales unexpectedly showed a modest increase in the month of February, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Friday, with the unexpected growth partly due to a jump in sales by electronics and appliance stores.
The report showed that retail sales rose by 0.3 percent in February following a downwardly revised 0.1 percent increase in January. The sales growth came as a surprise to economists, who had expected sales to edge down by 0.2 percent compared to the 0.5 percent growth originally reported for the previous month.
Excluding a 2.0 percent drop in sales by motor vehicle and parts dealers, sales increased by a somewhat more substantial 0.8 percent in February compared to a 0.5 percent increase in the previous month. Economists had expected ex-auto sales to edge up by 0.1 percent.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.