US: February retails sales strong, though margins reduced
It is likely that sales will be shown to have risen around 4.8%, above last years February rise of 4%.
For some individual retailers the gains are even higher. Costco Wholesale for example recorded February growth of 8%.
However, analysts question how much growth is being driven at the cost of profits - Costco's margins narrowed considerably. The temptation remains for retailers to lower prices to bring in consumers concerned over ongoing economic strains.
Source: www.marketwatch.com
