U.S. retail sales were essentially flat in October, but the headline figure concealed underlying consumer strength as Americans began their holiday shopping before Halloween.
Retail and food service sales totaled $732.6 billion in October, virtually unchanged from September, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. The stagnant headline masked divergent trends, with weakness concentrated in automobiles and housing-related categories while traditional retail showed surprising vigor.
Motor vehicle sales fell 1.6 percent in October but remain 1.2 percent above last year’s level.
Sales at building materials and garden centers declined 0.9 percent and…
Read the full article at BREITBART.COM
