Key Takeaways Retail sales rose 0.2% in February after falling 1.2% in January, less of a rebound than forecasters had anticipated.Sales at restaurants dipped 1.5%, a sharp decrease that suggested some people are tightening their belts.

US retail sales rose by less than forecast in February and the prior month was revised lower, adding to concerns of a pullback in consumer spending.

U.S. retail sales rebounded in February, suggesting that the economy continued to grow in the first quarter, though at a moderate pace as tariffs on imports and mass firings of federal government workers weigh on sentiment.