by Calculated Risk on 1/12/2018 08:43:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.8 percent from November to December (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 5.4 percent from December 2016.

From the Census Bureau report:

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for December 2017, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $495.4 billion, an increase of 0.4 percent from the previous month, and 5.4 percent above December 2016. ... The October 2017 to November 2017 percent change was revised from up 0.8 percent to up 0.9 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 0.4% 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 4.9% on a YoY basis.

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