Total retail sales including food service establishments increased 0.3% (5.8% y/y) during December following a 0.3% November gain, revised from 0.2%. The increase matched expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Retail sales excluding motor vehicles & parts rebounded 0.7% (6.3% y/y) last month after little change in November. Expectations had been for a 0.5% improvement.

Retail sales alone rose 0.4% (6.0% y/y) in December for the third straight month. A 1.3% decline (+4.1% y/y) in motor vehicles purchases held back the rise in total retail sales. The decline compared to a 1.9% drop in unit vehicle sales. Offsetting this decline was a 1.6% gain (0.1% y/y) in apparel sales and a 0.6% rise (2.2% y/y) in general merchandise store sales. Electronics & appliance store sales also rose 0.6% (-0.7% y/y) and furniture & home furnishings store sales edged 0.1% higher (3.2% y/y). Sales of nonstore retailers rose 0.2% (19.2% y/y) and sporting goods & hobby shop store sales gained 0.9% (1.8% y/y).

Gasoline & service station sales increased 2.8% (11.3% y/y) as seasonally adjusted gasoline prices rose.

In the nondiscretionary sales categories, food & grocery store sales gained 0.4% (3.7% y/y) for a second month. Sales of health & personal care product stores also rose 0.4% (+3.8% y/y).

Restaurant sales increased 0.2% (4.9% y/y) following a 0.6% decline.

The retail sales data can be found in Haver's USECON database. The Action Economics forecast is in the AS1REPNA database.