Retail sales increased 1.4% in March, greater than expected

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNBC

Published Wed, Apr 16 2025 8:30 AM EDT | Updated 2 Min Ago


Consumer spending was stronger than expected in March as demand remained high despite declining sentiment, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

The advanced estimate of retail sales showed an increase of 1.4% on the month, better than the 1.2% Dow Jones estimate and higher than the 0.2% increase in February. The year-over-year rise was 4.6%, according to numbers adjusted for seasonality but not prices, while the monthly increase was the biggest since January 2023.

Excluding autos, the numbers also were stronger than expected, with sales up 0.5% compared with the 0.3% forecast. Economists expected the auto sales number to jump as buyers tried to get ahead of President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariffs. Motor vehicle and parts dealers reported a surge of 5.3% in sales.

The reading points to spending holding strong despite the crosscurrents of looming tariffs and expectations that the economy is weakening.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/16/retail-sales-march-2025.html

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Article updated.

Previous article -

Published Wed, Apr 16 2025 8:30 AM EDT | Updated 13 Min Ago


Consumer spending was stronger than expected in March as demand remained high despite declining sentiment, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

The advanced estimate of retail sales showed an increase of 1.4% on the month, better than the 1.2% Dow Jones estimate and higher than the 0.2% increase in February.

Excluding autos, the numbers also were strong than expected, with sales up 0.5% compared to the 0.3% forecast.

The reading points to spending holding strong despite the crosscurrents of looming tariffs and expectations that the economy is weakening.


This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

Original article -

Published Wed, Apr 16 2025 8:30 AM EDT


Retail sales were expected to increase 1.2% in March, according to the Dow Jones consensus.


This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

[genxlib]

1. I wonder

How much of this was a rush to buy things before tariffs.

I heard multiple stories about people buying cars, appliances etc. before they got more expensive

[badhair77]

3. That was me.

I even stocked up at Dollar Tree. Some prices have increased already. My shopping companion did the same and we both questioned how long they can stay in business if the tariffs continue. I’m being very conscientious about what I spend. I’m sure some smaller family cafes will struggle, too. We went in the grocery store to check on a few unnecessary items and were stunned at the price of factory produced baked goods. We both left empty handed.

[LiberalArkie]

5. Oh yea.. Dollar General had a dozen large eggs for $6.99 and at the regional grocery (Harps) it was $14.99

They are jacking up the prices before they have even encountered the tariffs. Dollar General seems to be holding the line. There was a time like until January that I would never set foot in a corporate store, and insisted on shopping at the employee owned regional grocery. But their prices are out of sight these days. The very day Trump announced the tariffs the employees were going around changing the price labels.

[wolfie001]

6. That's exactly what they're saying on CNBC

Increase in auto sales to beat the tariffs. More scamming by the Fat Don.

[magicarpet]

7. Empty shelves caused hoarding....

Like you say,... frantic grab and run before tariffs enacted and up prices dramatically.

[ToxMarz]

9. Exactly

Odd that the reporting didn't consider this rather than just saying "Hmmmm", it's a pretty obvious correlation.

[Rebl2]

10. I would

guess a lot of it was buyers buying things before tariffs kicking in.

[werdna]

2. People stocking up in anticipation -

- of the increase of prices expected from tariffs?

[doc03]

4. I bought a new car on January 31 just to avoid shitstains tariffs. But it is hard to

believe employment is up and sales were up in March.

[Magoo48]

8. How very sad. It also means citizens will not curtail their spending even to help save their own freedoms.

How weird, of all the shit going down, this disturbed me. It gives us a peek into the mindset of the rank and file.
“There’s a hard rain a gonna fall”

[Gore1FL]

11. It probably means people are stocking up pre-tariffs.

Freedom comes after food, clothing, shelter, and health in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

[Magoo48]

15. I like your speculation better than mine.

[Gore1FL]

16. I just know my spending has been up in preparation.

Most of it came last November and December, but as I find myself running out of stuff lately, I've been buying extras. I expect a lot of that will slow down over the next few months.

I suspect there are people not changing their habits as you suggest as well.

[amcgrath]

12. Now is the time for critical thinking.

Consumer spending figures are frequently misused, often in an attempt to reassure consumers that everyone else is happily buying, so they should too.
There has been a lot often talk about bulk buying to avoid shortages, there has been encouragement to buy before tariffs hit. Bulk buying never helps the economy, the accepted corporate strategy to deal with it, is to do absolutely nothing. Increasing production only leads to a slack period later, while people exhaust their supplies of whatever products they bought in bulk. So while the government might try and sell this an increased consumer confidence and increased sales, the manufacturers understand that it is nothing of the sort.
Consumer spending will be up again next time they are collated. Not (as they will suggest) because of consumer confidence, but because people will be paying increased prices for everything.
Perhaps the saddest abuse of figures will be the increased sales of things like purchases of things like large household appliances, and other "big ticket" items etc.
In the UK in the ’80's the government used these sorts of figures extensively to tell the country that everything was fine. Independent studies were done and it was determined that the increased spending was in large part redundancy money, or spending from the last decent pay check that people ever expected to get. Knowing that they’d never again be able to afford to replace the washing machine, or car or lawnmower. Freezers were big sellers too. Not something that the British typically bought, but people realized that from then on, they would be unable to eat so much fresh food and would be getting by on whatever was cheap and could be frozen

[Mike 03]

13. Although I have no evidence, I still believe this is nothing more than

Americans and American businesses trying to get out ahead of tariffs, inflation and recession. I know I spent like a drunken sailor prior to January 20, and then did it again when the economic agenda became clearer. The objective in my case is to finally get into a position where I can stop all discretionary spending for as long as reasonably possible.

[kimbutgar]

14. I have been buying extra things that might be harder to get in the future.

Yesterday did my weekly shopping and I went to three places and there were many empty shelves. I got the last carton of eggs for $4.99 at Trader Joe’s. And the selection of pasta was limited. Even Costco had less stuff than usual.