December Sales

The Commerce Department is reporting that shoppers cut back on their spending at the nation's retailers by 0.4 percent in December.

Shoppers backed off under the strains of a declining job market, high energy bills and a housing slump.
Economists were forecasting overall sales to be flat in December.

In 2007 retail sales rose by 4.2 %. This was down from a 5.9 % increase in 2006.


Clothing sales declined by 2 percent, the most since September 2005. Car sales and department store sales each dipped 0.4 %. Gasoline station sales dropped 1.7 %.
However, sales at furniture stores rose 0.6 % and at food and at health and beauty stores rose by 0.7 %. and sales at bars and restaurants increased 0.2%.