US retail sales boomed at a one-year record pace in March, as shoppers apparently cast aside worries about jobs, high petrol prices and war.
Sales soared by a seasonally adjusted 1.8% in the month, the steepest increase since March 2003 and more than twice the speed predicted by private economists, the Commerce Department said.
Sales of cars and parts leapt 2.1%. But even stripping out the effect of car sales, retail sales were up 1.7%.
In a sign of home-owners sprucing up acquisitions, building material and garden equipment sales leapt 10.6% and sales at furniture and furnishing stores rose 1.2%. Petrol sales rose 0.8%, likely pushed up by record high prices at the pump.
Elsewhere, clothing store sales jumped 1.9%, health and personal care stores' sales rose 1.1% and food and beverage store sales increased 0.8%. Restaurant and bar sales rose 0.6%. General merchandise stores reported a 0.3% increase in sales. Electronic and appliance stores pushed edged up sales 0.2%.
But sales at sports, hobby and book stores fell 0.7%.
