The following is the unedited transcript of the news release from the U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce.


The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for February, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $380.2 billion, a decrease of 0.6 percent (±0.5%) from the previous month, but 2.6 percent (±0.7%) above February 2007. Total sales for the December 2007 through February 2008 period were up 3.3 percent (±0.5%) from the same period a year ago. The December 2007 to January 2008 percent change was revised from +0.3 percent (±0.5%)* to +0.4 percent (±0.2%).


Retail trade sales were down 0.6 percent (±0.7%)* from January 2008, but were 2.4 percent (±0.8%) above last year. Gasoline station sales were up 20.2 percent (±1.0%) from February 2007 and sales of sporting goods, hobby, book, and music stores were up 6.3 percent (±2.8%) from last year.


Available at:

http://www.census.gov/svsd/www/marts_current.html