Retail Sales Rise 0.7%

Retail sales rose 0.7% in March, the biggest jump in three months, the Commerce Department said Monday.

The increase followed a revised 0.5% gain in February that was higher than the 0.1% gain originally reported.

The March level topped economists’ forecasts of a 0.6% gain, Bloomberg reported.

Sales excluding motor vehicles, gasoline and building materials rose 0.4%, Commerce said.

Filling station sales rose 3.1% following a 1.5% increase in February.

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