The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that Canadian retail sales grew by 0.8 per cent in March from February, more than analysts had forecast, and looked set to have increased by 0.5 per cent in April, Statistics Canada indicated on Friday. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe reports that the largest increase was the 4.8-per-cent gain posted by motor-vehicle and parts dealers, the first rise in three months. Analysts suggested one reason was consumers rushing to buy cars before U.S. tariffs took effect in April. Analysts had expected a 0.7-per-cent jump in March. "Canadian consumers haven't tightened the purse strings much it seems in the face of tariff uncertainty," said CIBC's Andrew Grantham. In March, sales were up in six of nine subsectors, representing 58.9 per cent of retail trade. In volume terms, retail sales increased by 0.9 per cent. Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said on Thursday he expected second quarter growth to be "quite a bit weaker" than the first quarter, and that it could be worse in subsequent quarters if the uncertainty around tariffs continued. Currency swap market bets show odds of a 25-basis-point rate cut in June at 32 per cent, unchanged from before the data release.