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US retail sales decline for third straight month
US retail sales dropped last month, the Commerce Department said Friday, marking the third straight month without any growth. Retail sales fell 0.7% in December from the month prior. Economists surveyed by Refinitiv expected sales to be flat. The Commerce Department also revised November's data lower from a 1.1% decline to a 1.4% drop. America's economic recovery took a hit in the final months of 2020, and the retail sector hasn't been spared. Rising Covid-19 infections and renewed lockdown measures, as well as job losses, have weighed on consumer spending and were a drag on retail sales. The economy shed 140,000 ... (full story)