US: Retail and food services sales for December 2017 were $495.4 bln, an increase of 0.4%

"Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for December 2017, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $495.4 billion, an increase of 0.4 percent from the previous month, and 5.4 percent above December 2016," the U.S. Census Bureau reported on Friday.

Key highlights

October 2017 through December 2017 period were up 5.5 percent from the same period a year ago.

The October 2017 to November 2017 percent change was revised from up 0.8 percent to up 0.9 percent.

Retail trade sales were up 0.3 percent from November 2017, and were up 5.6 percent from last year.

Nonstore Retailers were up 12.7 percent from December 2016, while Building Materials and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers were up 9.9 percent from last year.