So-called retail-control group sales, which are used to calculate GDP and exclude food services, auto dealers, building materials stores and gasoline stations, rose 0.1% (est. up 0.4%) following unchanged. Seven of 13 major retail categories showed declines. The results indicate consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy, is easing after rising at a 3.8 percent annualized pace in the fourth quarter, the fastest in more than a year. Shoppers may be taking a breather following a run-up in borrowing in late 2017, and relatively tepid wage growth is limiting Americans’ purchasing power.