US retail sales rose by 0.2 percent in February after tumbling by a revised 1.2 percent in January, the Commerce Department reported on Monday, compared to the 0.9 percent slump originally reported for the previous month. The uptick by retail sales came despite a continued decrease in sales by motor vehicle and parts dealers, which fell by 0.4 percent in February after plunging by 3.7 percent in January. Excluding the drop in sales by motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales increased by 0.3 percent in February after falling by 0.6 percent in January. Ex-auto sales were expected to rise by 0.5 percent. The modest increase by ex-auto sales partly reflected a significant rebound by sales by non-store retailers, which surged by 2.4 percent in February after tumbling by 2.4 percent in January.