Feb. retail sales climb 1.1%, fastest in 5 months

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
Retail sales climbed the fastest in five months in February, as rising gasoline prices weren't enough to choke off demand for cars, clothing and other goods
The Commerce Department said Tuesday that retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 1.1% to $407.8 billion in February, and January retail sales were revised higher to show a 0.6% advance instead of an initially reported 0.4% rise
Excluding autos, sales climbed 0.9%
Economists polled by MarketWatch had anticipated a 1.2% gain for the headline index and a 0.7% advance for retail sales excluding autos.