U.S. retail sales rose 0.3 percent in March, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday, falling short of expectations after a sharp downturn in department store and clothing sales.
The March increase followed a stronger 0.5 percent sales increase in February and represented the smallest advance since a meager 0.1 percent rise in January. Wall Street had forecast a 0.7 percent rise in retail sales last month due to higher gasoline prices and based on assumptions that consumers would stock up on spring clothing.
