Retail sales rise 0.3% in November as Americans hit gas, not brakes on shopping, travel, restaurants

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans picked up their spending from October to November as the unofficial holiday season kicked off, underscoring that shoppers still have power to keep buying. Retail sales rose 0.3%, in November from October, when sales were down a revised 0.2%. That’s according to the Commerce Department. Economists were expecting a 0.2% drop for November. Excluding car and gas sales, sales were up 0.6%. At restaurants, business was up 1.6%., while sales at furniture stores rose 0.9%. Online sales rose 1%. Electronic and appliance sales, however, were down 1.1%. Sales at department stores fell 2.5%. The figures aren’t adjusted for inflation.