by Calculated Risk on 12/13/2012 09:00:00 AM
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Retail Sales increased 0.3% in November
On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.3% from October to November (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 3.7% from November 2011. 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 $412.4 billion, an increase of 0.3 percent from the previous month and 3.7 percent above November 2011. ... The September to October 2012 percent change was unrevised from -0.3 percent.

The change in sales for October was unrevised at a 0.3% decline.
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 24.5% from the bottom, and now 8.8% above the pre-recession peak (not inflation adjusted)

Excluding gasoline, retail sales are up 21.3% from the bottom, and now 8.9% above the pre-recession peak (not inflation adjusted).
The third graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993.
Retail sales ex-gasoline increased by 4.0% on a YoY basis (3.7% for all retail sales).
