Retail sales declined in December in the United States

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, severe restrictions kept consumers away from restaurants and shops during the key holiday season, another indication that the economy lost significant momentum at the end of last year. The U.S. Department of Commerce said Friday that the seasonally and calendar-adjusted value of retail sales and hospitality was 540.9 billion USD in December, down 0.7 percent from the 544.6 billion USD in the previous month. (MTI)