Americans spent less on furniture, clothing and appliances in March as the economy faltered and more of their money went to pay for gasoline and food.

Retail sales rose 0.2 percent, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had forecast no change. The figures also showed purchases excluding gas were unchanged. Companies’ stocks of unsold goods rose 0.6 percent in February as sales dropped, a separate report showed.   Read more

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