Retail sales rose for a fifth straight month in November, as the biggest jump in department store sales in two years gave the holiday shopping season a strong start, The Associated Press reports.
Retail sales increased 0.8 percent last month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. That came after a 1.7 percent gain in October, which was propelled by a huge increase in auto sales.
Auto sales retreated a bit in November. But excluding autos, sales rose 1.2 percent — the best showing since last March.
Department store sales jumped 2.8 percent, the strongest advance in two years. That supported private industry readings that this year’s holiday shopping season got off to a good start.
Still, Best Buy Co. reported Tuesday that its quarterly net income, which covered a three-month period ending on Nov. 27, fell more than expected. The company said it lost sales of TVs and laptops to competitors. It also cut its full-year outlook.
Shares of the largest U.S. electronics chain fell nearly 12 percent in premarket trading.
One benefit for shoppers is that inflation remains tame. The Labor Department reported that wholesale prices rose 0.8 percent in November, reflecting a jump in energy prices. But core inflation, which excludes volatile energy and food, rose only 0.3 percent.
Consumer spending is closely watched because it accounts for 70 percent of total economic activity. A drop in retail sales in May and June had raised fears that the economy could be in danger of slipping back into recession.
However, since that time, sales have posted five consecutive increases and economists are now boosting their forecasts for growth in coming months. Many believe a big tax-cut package working its way through Congress will give consumers more money to spend in the new year.
