NEW YORK (AP) — The $600 stimulus checks got Americans shopping again. After three months of declines, retail sales soared a seasonally adjusted 5.3% in January from the month before, the U.S. Commerce Department said Wednesday. It was the biggest increase since June and much larger than the 1% rise Wall Street analysts had expected. The $600 stimulus checks, sent out at the end of last year, seems to have pushed people to buy new furniture, clothing and appliances.
