US retail sales surged 1.7% in March, the strongest monthly gain in a year and above the 1.4% estimate. The move was driven largely by a 15.5% jump in gas station spending as fuel prices climbed, while sales excluding gas stations still rose 0.6%.The key control-group measure increased 0.7%, beating the 0.2% forecast and marking the biggest gain since August. Nearly all 13 retail categories posted gains, signaling resilient consumer spending despite higher prices and a softer labor market.