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Retail sales burst higher in January as consumers use stimulus checks to spend heavily

February 17, 2021

Via: CNBC
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Consumers flocked to spend their stimulus checks in January, sending retail sales for the month up 5.3% in a blockbuster start to 2021, according to a government report Wednesday.

Economists surveyed by Dow Jones were expecting a rise of just 1.2%.

Excluding autos, sales rose 5.9%, also far ahead of the 1% estimate in a display of unexpected strength from the consumer.

A month after Congress approved a $900 billion additional stimulus package on top of the $2.2 trillion approved earlier in 2020 to counteract the Covid-19 impact, shoppers were armed with $600 checks they used to buy a variety of goods.

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