Retail Sales Decline Less Than Forecast

Retail sales fell 0.1% in February the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The increase followed a 1.8% increase in January that was twice the gain that was originally reported.

The February downturn was less than the 0.5% decline predicted by economists, Bloomberg reported.

Excluding automobiles, sales rose 0.7%, more than forecast.

Sales at auto parts stores and dealerships fell 4.3%, the most since October.

Almost all trucking operations depend on the health of retail sales because such sales involve nearly every type of cargo.