by Calculated Risk on 1/13/2017 09:12:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.6 percent from November to December (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 4.1 percent from December 2015.

From the Census Bureau report:

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for December 2016, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $469.1 billion, an increase of 0.6 percent from the previous month, and 4.1 percent above December 2015. Total sales for the 12 months of 2016 were up 3.3 percent from 2015. ... The October 2016 to November 2016 percent change was revised from up 0.1 percent to up 0.2 percent.

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 ex-gasoline were up 0.5% in December.

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

Retail and Food service sales ex-gasoline increased by 4.0% on a YoY basis.

The increase in December was below expectations, however sales for October and November were revised up. A solid report.