Retail sales increased 1.3% to $70.4 billion in November. Sales were up in eight of nine subsectors, led by increases at food and beverage retailers. Core retail sales—which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers—were up 1.6% in November. In volume terms, retail sales increased 1.1% in November. Core retail sales rose 1.6% in November after decreasing in the previous two months. The largest increase to core retail sales came from food and beverage retailers (+3.0%). The increase in this subsector was led by beer, wine and liquor retailers, which were up 14.3% in November after ... (full story)