By Brittney Sherman
According to Commerce Department data reported by Retail Dive, February retail sales in core segments were essentially flat year over year, while e-commerce rose 1.7%. Factoring in the leap day last February, volumes were down by as much as 3.5%, reflecting broad weakness across categories: electronics sales plunged more than 9%, sporting goods fell nearly 6%, and apparel slipped 3.2%, driving a 7.5% drop at department stores.