Holiday Sales Gained 2.9% despite Weak Finish
A 1.2% decline in Dec. retail sales amid a tumbling stock market and trade war saber rattling pulled down overall sales for the 2018 Holiday season to $707.5 billion, a 2.9% increase from 2017, according to the NRF’s analysis of Commerce Department data. The final tally fell short of NRF projections for sales growth of 4.3% to 4.8% to between $717.45 billion and $720.89 billion, ... Log in to view full article.