U.S. retail sales rebounded by more than forecast in February in a broad advance as consumers stepped up spending after a slow start to the year.

Retailers signal rising prices and fragile demand as energy and freight costs surge amid prolonged Middle East instability

In Faye Landes’ latest column, the consumer and retail analyst draws parallels to the 70s to gain insights into the future.

Year on year, U.S. shoppers have become more value focused during Q4, setting a challenging precedent for retailers grappling with unknown tariff impacts.