WASHINGTON, March 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. retail sales in January edged up 0.2 percent from the prior month, reaching 504.4 billion U.S. dollars, the Commerce Department said Monday.
Data for December was revised down to show retail sales dropping 1.6 percent instead of 1.2 percent as previously reported, and that was the worst decline in nine years, a report released by the department showed.
Total retail sales for January were up by 2.3 percent from January 2018, the report said.
Total sales for the November 2018 through January 2019 period were up 2.6 percent from the same period a year ago, the report said.
Retail trade sales in January were up 0.2 percent from December 2018, and 1.9 percent above the same month last year. Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers were up 8.7 percent from January 2018, while non-store retailers were up 7.3 percent from January last year.
Instrument and book stores were up 4.8 percent from December 2018, but 6.1 percent down from January last year. Miscellaneous store retailers were down 4.3 percent, gasoline stations were down 4.2 percent, and electronics & appliance stores were down 3.3 percent, compared with January 2018.
The data was released weeks behind schedule due to the 35-day partial federal government shutdown which ended in late January.
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