RETAIL SALES REBOUND IN JANUARY DESPITE INFLATION

Key Points:

  • Retail sales, a measure of purchases at stores, restaurants and online, rose 3.0% in January from December after falling 1.1% last month.
  • Consensus among economists was a 1.8% increase.
  • January’s increase comes after two months of decline at the end of last year.
  • Excluding autos, retail sales also rose by 2.3% over the month.
  • Retail sales are up 6.1% from a year prior while consumer prices advanced 6.4% from a year earlier.
  • The Right Facts will continue to monitor retail sales.