U.S. Retail Sales Up 0.6% in November, Beat Expectations

U.S. retail sales increased by 0.6 percent in November, surpassing economists' expectations and signaling robust consumer spending as the holiday shopping season gained momentum. The Commerce Department released the figures on January 14, more than a month after the data was originally due, following delays from a 43-day government shutdown that postponed several economic reports.

The gain marked the strongest monthly rise since July and reversed a downwardly revised 0.1 percent decline in October. Analysts had anticipated a more modest increase of around 0.2 percent to 0.4 percent. Through the first 11 months of the year, overall retail sales rose 3.7 percent compared with the same period in 2024, outpacing a 2.7 percent increase in consumer prices and indicating a 1 percent rise in real terms.

Motor vehicle and parts sales led the rebound, climbing 1 percent for the month and 4 percent from a year earlier, even as prices in that sector increased by just 0.6 percent. The uptick followed a slowdown in October tied to the expiration of federal tax incentives for electric vehicles. Gasoline station receipts also contributed, surging 1.4 percent amid a 3 percent jump in fuel prices...