Retail sales decline more than expected in January

Retail sales slipped more than Wall Street expected in January, raising questions of whether America’s resilient consumer could be losing steam.

Retail sales fell 0.8% in January from the month prior according to Census Bureau data. Economists had expected a 0.2% decrease in spending, according to Bloomberg data. December retail sales previously posted a surprise 0.6% increase but that was revised down to 0.4% in Thursday’s release.

The month-over-month decline was the largest since March 2023.

January sales, excluding auto and gas, decreased by 0.5% compared to estimates for a 0.2% increase.

 

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