by Calculated Risk on 12/13/2011 08:30:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales were up 0.2% from October to November (seasonally adjusted, after revisions), and sales were up 6.7% from November 2010. From the Census Bureau report:

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for November, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $399.3 billion, an increase of 0.2 percent (±0.5%)* from the previous month and 6.7 percent (±0.7%) above November 2010.

Retail sales excluding autos increased 0.2% in November.

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows retail sales since 1992. This is monthly retail sales and food service, seasonally adjusted (total and ex-gasoline).

Retail sales are up 20.0% from the bottom, and now 5.5% above the pre-recession peak (not inflation adjusted)

The second graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993.

Retail sales ex-gasoline increased by 6.0% on a YoY basis (6.7% for all retail sales).

This was below the consensus forecast for retail sales of a 0.5% increase in November, and a 0.4% increase ex-auto.

All current retail sales graphs