U.S. Retail Sales Rose in November Despite Expected Decline

U.S. retail sales rose 0.3% in November compared to the previous month, the Commerce Department said Thursday, despite the Dow Jones estimate that sales would decline by 0.1%. 

The 0.3% estimated increase in U.S. retail and food service sales outpaced inflation from October to November, which was 0.1%. The retail sales are also up 4.1% when compared to the same time last year, the department said, which is still above the inflation rate of 3.1% from November 2022 to November 2023.

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Federal Data: Retail Sales Remain Flat, Job Openings Decline

Retail sales did not meet expectations and the number of job openings declined in states around the country, newly released federal data show. 

The U.S. Census Bureau released data Wednesday showing retail sales remained unchanged for the month of July, despite expectations of a 0.1% increase. A drop in gas prices and auto sales helped fuel the decrease.

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Americans’ Spending Slows Dramatically Amid Surging Inflation and Gas Prices

American’s spending slowed in February amid surging inflation and gas prices, the U.S. Census Bureau announced Wednesday.

Retail sales grew 0.3% in February, a significant dip from January’s 4.9% monthly increase, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday. January’s spending increase marked the largest jump since March 2021 after Americans received the final $1,400 government stimulus check.

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U.S. Retail Sales Fell by 1.9 Percent in December

As the Omicron variant surged across the U.S., retail sales dipped 1.9% during the final month of 2021, according to information released by the Commerce Department on Friday.

Data shows that holiday shoppers took warnings about shipping delays seriously and shifted their holiday shopping schedule up last year. On the whole, consumer demand led sales to grow by 16.9% in 2021.

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Retail Sales Grew in October as Shoppers Faced Higher Prices Entering the Holiday Season

U.S. retail sales increased in October as shoppers faced the largest price increase in 30 years entering the holiday season.

Retail sales, a measure of how much consumers spent on goods, increased 1.7% in October, far exceeding September’s 0.7% figure, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday. Core sales, excluding autos, jumped 1.7% in October.

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