U.K. retail sales unexpectedly rose in March as spending on clothing jumped, adding to evidence the economy gained momentum in the first quarter. Sales including auto fuel rose 0.1 percent from February, when they increased 1.3 percent, the Office for National Statistics said today in London. That compared with a forecast for a decline of 0.4 percent, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey. Consumers led Britain’s recovery in 2013 and are set to bolster growth again this year as wage growth picks up and inflation slows, easing a five-year squeeze on household incomes. The Bank of England has ... (full story)