13.12.201912:39:00UTC+00U.S. Retail Sales Rise Much Less Than Expected In November

A report released by the Commerce Department on Friday showed retail sales in the U.S. rose by far less than economists had anticipated in the month of November.

The Commerce Department said retail sales edged up by 0.2 percent in November after climbing by an upwardly revised 0.4 percent in October.

Economists had expected retail sales to climb by 0.5 percent compared to the 0.3 percent increase originally reported for the previous month.

Excluding an increase in auto sales, retail sales inched up by 0.1 percent in November after rising by 0.3 percent in October. Economists had expected ex-auto sales to increase by 0.4 percent.