U.S. retail sales rise despite storms

American retail sales rose in February, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Friday, as consumers kept buying despite major snowstorms that hit eastern states.

Sales rose 0.3 per cent, exceeding the expectations of many economists of a 0.2 per cent increase.

It was the biggest advance since November, when sales were helped by the U.S. Thanksgiving and provided hope that the economic recovery is gaining momentum.

"The bottom line in this report is that consumers seem to have shifted into a cautiously pro-spending mode," Eric Lascelles, an economics strategist with TD Securities, said in a commentary.

Lascelles said there were gains in categories that would normally be thought of as subject to the "whims of weather," including increases of:

• 3.7 per cent gain in electronics.
• 0.5 per cent in building materials.
• 0.6 per cent in clothing.
• 1.2 per cent in sporting goods.

The gain was held back by a two per cent fall in auto sales, reflecting in part the recall problems at Toyota.

Excluding autos, however, retail sales rose 0.8 per cent, far better than the 0.1 per cent rise outside of autos that economists had forecast.