U.S. Retail Sales Fell 0.8% in January

The retail restraint is somewhat surprising given that the average household is expected to save hundreds of dollars this year on gas that averaged $2.23 a gallon on Thursday, down from $3.32 a year ago, according to auto club AAA. Americans appear to be saving the money they’re not spending at the pump, or using any excess funds on services that don’t show up in the retail-sales report.