by Calculated Risk on 1/15/2013 08:44:00 AM
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Retail Sales increased 0.5% in December
On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.5% from November to December (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 4.7% from December 2011. From the Census Bureau report:
The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for for December, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $415.7 billion, an increase of 0.5 percent from the previous month and 4.7 percent above December 2011. ... The October to November 2012 percent change was revised from +0.3 percent to +0.4 percent.
![Retail Sales](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6B6aYR2ldHDweVfm6bD56OeIs5d-BgSFPp9C0KUpfGY-E0h43dp8ehzJRNaVkyJ0C6zkDbC5h3Zv6U7YOrSFWCbGFI24nOQvwHX1tGZhHDNHWqt3VYEL73YhtOA8bdJlw3edWg/s320/RetailDec2012.jpg)
Sales for November were revised up to a 0.4% gain.
This graph shows retail sales since 1992. This is monthly retail sales and food service, seasonally adjusted (total and ex-gasoline).
Retail sales are up 25.4% from the bottom, and now 9.7% above the pre-recession peak (not inflation adjusted)
![Retail Sales since 2006](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrW4cWqspa0hcnAmHXVmMApTJtlNrcS484_3gzpV3E5byt3L_foxcuQaIdxc_pL0bmSMiiTSRo1HWgkcOl5ql7jYFvaQuPxZK0FchFNYVXKTHAgD2LL_pMLqzkU5YXpx41WQnAg/s320/RetailShortDec2012.jpg)
Retail sales ex-autos increased 0.3%.
Excluding gasoline, retail sales are up 22.5% from the bottom, and now 10.0% above the pre-recession peak (not inflation adjusted).
The third graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993.
Retail sales ex-gasoline increased by 5.1% on a YoY basis (4.7% for all retail sales).
![Year-over-year change in Retail Sales](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIWjHqUlVsExH6IrmlCsc2urGJk2lIKpx8ZIQd-lF63iVFxwQDqfIeiLV6mAK1FmeEsK2rYmSnIkMsQfqINV1_X3mJg7EsaHKngj9mnTtsNVmnd_CNbJjweiMFMWYqCowLZ5AOw/s320/RetailYoYDec2012.jpg)