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Retail Sales in U.S. Unexpectedly Increased in February
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By Bob Willis

March 12 (Bloomberg) -- Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly climbed in February as Americans braved blizzards to get to the malls, signaling consumers will contribute more to economic growth.

Purchases increased 0.3 percent last month, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. Figures for the prior two months were revised down, taking some of the shine out of todays data. Sales excluding autos rose 0.8 percent, also surpassing expectations