U.S. Retail Sales Show Holiday Season Off to Strong Start
Consumer spending showed unexpected strength at the start of the holiday shopping season, as Americans shopped in-person and online, shrugging off signs of economic cooling.Retail sales, which include spending at stores, restaurants and gas stations, rose 0.3% in November from the month before, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Economists had expected sales to fall. Sales rose 4.1% in November from a year earlier, outpacing inflation.Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8