US retail sales experienced a significant increase in March, primarily driven by a surge in car purchases and other goods such as electronics. This rise suggests consumers may have been rushing to make purchases ahead of anticipated tariffs. According to Commerce Department data released on Wednesday, retail purchases, not adjusted for inflation, rose by 1.4%, marking the largest gain in over two years. Excluding auto sales, retail sales still climbed by 0.5%.
— new from Bloomberg.com
