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The decline followed a 0.3% increase in February that contrasted with the 0.1% downturn originally reported.

The downturn was less than the 0.3% increase that had been forecasted by economists, Bloomberg reported.

Automobiles, electronics and restaurants led the decline, Bloomberg said. Auto sales fell 2.3% following a 4% decline in February.

Almost all trucking operations depend on the health of retail sales because such sales involve nearly every type of cargo.