US Retail Sales Jump in March as Higher Gas Prices Lift Spending

Consumers kept buying as fuel costs surged, with goods and services also posting a solid monthly gain.

High gas prices are displayed at a Chevron gas station as an American flag flies in El Segundo, Calif., on April 8, 2026. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Americans kept on spending in March amid a sharp rise in gasoline prices, new government data suggest.

Retail sales, an estimate of how much money people spend on goods and services at the retail level, rose 1.7 percent in March from the previous month, the U.S. Census Bureau reported on April 21. Compared with a year earlier, retail sales were up 4 percent.