Retail sales in March rose for the ninth consecutive month, boosted by soaring gasoline prices. High gas prices worry some economists, while others point to strength in home furnishings and restaurant sales as cause for optimism.

The Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington before the Joint Economic Committee hearing on Wednesday. (AP Photo)

The economy is recovering, just not robustly enough to fuel fast job growth.

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BY JORDAN MELNICK — MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

Retailers are faulting unseasonable weather and rising unemployment for year-over-year sales declines in June. The big losers were clothing and department stores, with Abercrombie & Fitch Co.’s same-store sales down 32 percent, Dillard’s Inc. down 14 percent and sales at both

Retail companies using energy-efficient practices, such as monitoring building temperatures, can reduce costs. (Bright_Star/FLICKR)

BY HANNAH KOKJOHN – MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

Just as the U.S. Census Bureau released its unexpectedly dismal March report of a 1.1 percent drop in U.S. food and retail service sales, Prenova Inc., an Atlanta-based energy management company, twisted the [...]

(MrTakeoutBags/FLICKR)

BY DEB WEINSTEIN– MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

March retail sales are in, and if you’re comparing numbers to the Christmas season, as the New York Times article does, things aren’t that bad.

The bright spots, as in past months, have been retailers such [...]

(Randy Son of Robert/FLICKR)

BY DEB WEINSTEIN — MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

Recession pressures and near-term leases have led giant Costco Wholesale Corp. to shutter its two home furnishing stores. The Issaquah, Wash.-based retailer said the store closings in Kirkland, Wash., and Tempe, Ariz., will not affect company performance or be [...]

BY TIAN HUANG - MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

Stores across the nation were hoping for a break from the recession this holiday season, but the December sales numbers that came in this week showed it was anything but.

The International Council of Shopping Centers reported that U.S. chain store sales for December 2008 fell by 1.7 percent on a year-to-year [...]

BY MOLLY SELTZER — MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

Tonight, I’m having scrambled eggs for dinner. If I feel indulgent, I might make some French toast too. Big glass of orange juice. Bit of syrup. I like the sweet, sticky tines of the fork. What [...]