US Retail Sales rise 1.7% in March vs. 1.4% expected

Retail Sales in the United States (US) rose 1.7% to $752.1 billion in March, the US Census Bureau reported on Tuesday. This print followed the 0.7% increase (revised from 0.6%) recorded in February and surpassed the market expectation of 1.4%. On a yearly basis, Retail Sales were up 4%, matching February’s print.

“Total sales for the January 2026 through March 2026 period were up 3.7 percent (±0.4 percent) from the same period a year ago,” the press release read. “Retail trade sales were up 1.9 percent (±0.5 percent) from February 2026, and up 4.2 percent (±0.5 percent) from last year.”

Market reaction

The US Dollar (USD) Index edged slightly with the immediate reaction and was last seen rising 0.2% on the day at 98.25.