On a monthly basis, retail sales decreased 0.2 percent from February to March (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 3.6 percent from March 2018.
From the Census Bureau report:
Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for March 2019, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $514.1 billion, an increase of 1.6 percent from the previous month, and 3.6 percent above March 2018. … The January 2019 to February 2019 percent change was unrevised from down 0.2 percent.
Click on graph for larger image.
This graph shows retail sales since 1992. This is monthly retail sales and food service, seasonally adjusted (total and ex-gasoline).
Retail sales ex-gasoline were up 1.4% in March.
The second graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993.
Retail and Food service sales, ex-gasoline, increased by 3.65% on a YoY basis.
The increase in March was well above expectations, and sales in January and February were revised up, combined. A solid report following the recent weakness in retail sales.