Retail sales in the United States increased in December

Retail and hospitality sales in the United States increased in December, for the third consecutive month. Except for car purchases, households did not skimp in the last month of the year, which may indicate that the US economy expanded at a moderate pace late last year.

The US Department of Commerce announced on Thursday that its seasonally and calendar-adjusted retail sales and hospitality sales were 529.6 billion USD in December, which is 0.3 percent, compared to the previous month. (MTI)