Retail sales in the U.S. fell for a third consecutive month in February. And for an economy that has been increasingly consumer-driven in recent years, that could be an alarming statistic.

Worries that a recession is on the horizon are also creating tension. But the unemployment rate is low and, as a whole, the economy continues to grow. So how close an eye should we be keeping on those retail sales figures?

Here to talk about it is Donna Hitscherich, a faculty member in finance at the Columbia University Business School.