The Financial Post reports in its Saturday edition that Canadian retail sales rose 0.8 per cent in March, driven largely by a 4.8-per-cent increase in auto sales, according to Statistics Canada. The Post's Gigi Suhanic writes that despite this, a Bank of Canada rate cut is being considered, with retail sales for April projected to grow 0.5 per cent. Rosenberg Research & Associates founder David Rosenberg said in a note: "What was key was the woeful 0.7-per-cent plunge in the ex-auto segment. That was the steepest slide since May of last year." That segment, which excludes automobiles, was pulled down by a 6.5-per-cent plunge in gasoline sales as prices and volumes fell. Excluding vehicle sales -- which economists said rose due to buyers trying to get ahead of retaliatory auto tariffs -- and gas sales, retail sales were up 0.2 per cent month over month. "All of a sudden, the [BOC] is back in play," Mr. Rosenberg said, referring to policy-makers' next interest rate announcement on June 4. Markets reduced their bets on a BOC rate cut earlier last week after core inflation came in hotter than expected. Currently, markets predict there is less than a 30-per-cent chance the BOC will cut rates next month.