US retail sales are expected to fall 0.5% in February and -0.2% ex-autos. Jobless claims are seen inching up to 645k from 639k last week. while continuing claims are expected to reach 5.13 mln.Anecdotes for February suggest that there is a chance for an upside surprise in sales. Remember, consumer credit rose for the first time in four months in February, suggesting credit cards were dusted off after a lay-off.