Retail sales fall again, end 2015 with whimper

[marmar]

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Sales at U.S. retailers fell slightly in December, as 2015 recorded the slowest pace of gains since 2009.

Retail sales dropped a seasonally adjusted 0.1% last month, the Commerce Department said Friday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had forecast a 0.2% decline.

For all of 2015, retail sales grew just 2.1% even though job creation remained strong and more people earned an income. By contrast, sales expanded by an average rate of 5.1% from 2010 through 2014.

Much — but not all — of the year’s weakness in sales can be explained by plunging gasoline prices. Sales at gas stations, for instance, sank 1.1% in December following a 1.3% decline in November.

Still, overall sales in 2015 were on the softer side, at least in dollar terms, even after gas is stripped out. Sales minus gasoline rose a lackluster 3.9% last year despite record purchases of new autos. ...................(more)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/retail-sales-fall-in-december-end-2015-with-whimper-2016-01-15

[whatthehey]

1. The 'fall' is one month only, 0.1%. YOY grew 2.1%

and would have been 3.9% except for gas price drops. Doom I tell you, Doom.