US Retail Sales Unexpectedly Stalled to Close Holiday Season
A shopper carries bags in Walnut Creek, California.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergUS retail sales unexpectedly stalled in December, suggesting consumers provided less firepower for the economy as the year drew to a close.
The disappointing figures indicate the burst of activity at the start of the holiday-shopping season proved to be short-lived. Households remain frustrated over a high cost of living and worried about the job market.