Retail sales surge 3.8% in January, much more than expected amid inflation rise
Consumer spending bounced back sharply in January as rising inflation and a post-holiday surge kept cash registers ringing, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Retail sales for the month rose 3.8%, much better than the 2.1% Dow Jones estimate. The numbers are not adjusted for inflation, so the 7.5% rise in the consumer price index for…