LBM, garden sales down in U.S.

U.S. retail sales fell by four percent in February, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, a steeper drop than the 0.3 percent projected by economists in a Reuters poll. Four categories, including LBM/garden and furniture, posted declines. On a yearly basis, grocery sales grew by 5.8 percent. At the same time, January’s increase in retail sales was revised upward to 3.2 percent, from the preliminary estimate of just three percent.