Retail sales rebound in March

Strong auto sales helped spur overall sales last month; sales ex-auto bit weaker than expected.

April 13, 2006: 8:37 AM EDT


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Retail sales rebounded moderately in March from a poor showing in the previous month, helped mostly by a pick-up in automobile purchases, the government said Thursday.

The Census Bureau report reported a 0.6 percent in retail sales last month, compared with a 1.4 percent drop in February.

Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast a 0.5 percent gain for the month.

Excluding volatile auto sales, sales rose just 0.4 percent in March versus a 0.6 percent drop in February. But the number fell shy of economists forecast for a 0.5 percent gain.