US advance retail sales decline 0.3% m-o-m in January

"Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for January 2018, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $492.0 billion, a decrease of 0.3 percent (±0.5 percent) from the previous month, but 3.6 percent (±0.7 percent) above January 2017," the U.S. Census Bureau announced this Friday. 

Key highlights:

Total sales for the November 2017 through January 2018 period were up 4.9 percent (±0.5 percent) from the same period a year ago. 

The November 2017 to December 2017 percent change was revised from up 0.4 percent (±0.5 percent) to virtually unchanged (±0.3 percent).

Retail trade sales were down 0.3 percent (±0.5 percent) from December 2017, but 3.9 percent (±0.7 percent) above last year. 

Nonstore Retailers were up 10.2 percent (±1.4 percent) from January 2017, while Gasoline Stations were up 9.0 percent (±1.6 percent) from last year.