Consumers Open Their Wallets Again as Retail Sales Rise 0.6 Percent

EconomyHigher gasoline prices could impact consumer spending in the broader U.S. marketplace.A woman fills her car up with gasoline in Los Angeles on July 1, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch TimesAndrew Moran4/1/2026|Updated: 4/1/20260:00Shoppers opened their wallets again in February after consumers stayed home during January’s severe winter storm.Retail sales rose by 0.6 percent, from an upwardly revised 0.1 percent decline in the previous month, according to new Census Bureau data released on April 1.