February retail sales up 0.6%, but some cracks emerge in what has been a driving force for economy

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers picked up their spending  a bit in February after a pullback the previous month, reflecting the mixed feelings Americans have in an economy where prices are up, but jobs are plentiful. Retail sales rose 0.6% last month after falling a revised 1.1% in January, dragged down in part by inclement weather, according to the Commerce Department’s report on Thursday.  But the February number was weaker than had been predicted and  the January downgrade was worse than the initial estimate.February’s number was also lifted in part by higher gas price and higher auto sales. Excluding sales from gas stations and auto dealers, sales were up 0.3%.