Retail sales were unchanged in December from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, down sharply from November’s 0.6% increase. The figures are adjusted for seasonal swings but not inflation.
Retail sales declined across most of the categories tracked by the Commerce Department, falling the most at furniture stores (-0.9%) and at so-called miscellaneous stores (-0.9). Meanwhile, retail spending edged higher in a handful of categories, rising the most at home improvement stores (1.2%.)
A measure of retail sales that strips out volatile categories and gives a better indication of underlying demand — widely known as the control group — fell 0.1% in December.