U.S. February Retail Sales Growth Below Expectations, Uncertainty Leads to Low Consumer Confidence

March 17th: In the United States, retail sales in February witnessed a monthly increase; however, it fell short of expectations. The January sales decline was revised from 0.9% to 1.2% on a month-on-month basis. The report indicates that among 13 categories, only 5 categories experienced an increase in sales in February compared to January. These categories include non-store retailers (representing e-commerce), general merchandise, health and personal care, food and beverages, and building materials. These types of categories are generally essential goods rather than non-essential ones. Hence, the growth in these areas implies that consumers were cautious with their spending last month. Retailers have issued warnings that due to cold weather, tax refund delays, and the increasing uncertainty of consumers regarding the economy, February began on a weak note. Since January of this year, consumer confidence has been on a downward trend for three consecutive months as Americans strive to deal with the constantly changing policies of the Trump administration, such as intermittent tariffs and widespread layoffs in the federal government. (Jin10)