Retail Sales and Ex-Autos Up 0.3%, Below Estimates

WASHINGTON — Retail sales increased by a seasonally adjusted 0.3% in January as sales excluding autos also grew 0.3%, both below economists’ estimates, the Commerce Department reported ­Tuesday.

The January retail sales increase was the smallest since June, when total retail sales fell 0.3%.

Economists expected sales would increase 0.5% and sales excluding autos would rise 0.6%, according to the median estimate from Thomson Reuters.

December retail sales were revised lower to a 0.5% increase from a 0.6% gain reported last month.

For the three months ending in January, retail sales jumped 7.6% from the same period in 2009.

Shoppers continued to lift sales at general merchandise and department stores, which reported sales gains of 0.8% and 0.5%, respectively — both the largest gains in three months. Sales at online and mail-order retailers rose 1.2% in January following a 2.6% increase in December.

January retail sales excluding autos and gasoline sales, two volatile categories, increased 0.2% following a 0.1% rise in December.

For the 12 months ending in January, retail sales increased 7.8%.

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