The monthly retail and food services report came out on Monday, and experts across the board agree that the numbers do not support a vigorous recovery.  Retail sales dropped for the third straight month, a trend that has not occurred since 2008.  On the other hand, retail sales increased by 3.8 percent since June 2011, and the auto industry, which faced grave prospects just a few years ago, experienced a healthy rebound, with sales growing 8.7% over the past year.