Retail sales decline by 0.9% in January, largest since 2023, raising concerns about economy

From Investing.com: 2025-02-14 10:07:00

Total retail sales for January declined by -0.9% to $723.9 billion, surpassing street expectations of -0.2%. This marks the largest one-month drop since March 2023, despite a revised increase in December from +0.4% to +0.7%. Retail sales are up 4.2% in the last year, settling into a 3-4% annualized pace post-COVID. Core retail sales disappointed, falling -0.4% to $584.6 billion, below the expected 0.3% gain, but still up 3.7% in the last 12 months. Real retail sales have stagnated for 4 years, remaining below January 2021 levels, with a 1.3% monthly decline but 1.2% yearly growth.



Read more at Investing.com: Retail Sales See Biggest Drop Since 2023: Are Interest Rates Squeezing Economy?