by Calculated Risk on 1/15/2021 08:38:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales decreased 0.7 percent from November to December (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 2.9 percent from December 2019.

From the Census Bureau report:

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for December 2020, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $540.9 billion, a decrease of 0.7 percent from the previous month, but 2.9 percent above December 2019. Total sales for the 12 months of 2020 were up 0.6 percent from 2019. ... The October 2020 to November 2020 percent change was revised from down 1.1 percent to down 1.4 percent.
emphasis added

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 down 1.2% 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 4.2% on a YoY basis.

The decrease in December was slightly above expectations, however sales in October and November were revised down.