A MarketWatch news alert linking to this Market Pulse item incorrectly stated that retail sales excluding automobiles had declined in January.

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. retail sales fell a seasonally adjusted 0.4% in January, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Excluding the large automobile sector, sales were flat. Retail sales account for about one-third of consumer spending, the main engine of economic growth. Economists polled by MarketWatch had forecast retail sales would fall 0.1% overall but be unchanged excluding autos. December retail sales were revised downward to show a 0.1% decrease instead of a 0.2% gain, while a 0.7% gain in sales minus automobiles was trimmed to a 0.3% increase.