U.S. Retail Sales Plunge 2.7% in December

For the sixth straight month, U.S. retail sales skidded in December, plunging 2.7% from November, more than twice market forecasts, government data showed Jan. 14.

Analysts' consensus forecast was for a drop of 1.2% in retail and food services sales.

Excluding gasoline sales, which plummeted because of falling crude oil prices, retail sales fell for the seventh consecutive month in December, by 1.4%, compared with a slight 0.2% decline in November, the department said.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2009