Consumers gave retailers only a modest boost in November, showing a reluctance to spend lavishly at the start of the holiday shopping season.
Last month, retail sales climbed to $465.5 billion, up 0.1 percent from October and up 3.8 percent from November 2015, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. Some forecasts had predicted a rise of at least 0.3 percent.
In addition, October retail sales were revised down to 0.6 percent from a previous estimate of 0.8 percent.
Retail sales in November can be a crucial barometer of consumer sentiment and retail performance for the overall season _ a make-or-break period when retailers can sometimes rake in 40 percent of their annual sales. The results may signal a slight slowdown among shoppers after several months of strong gains.
Other recent reports have given more upbeat forecasts of the economy in the fourth quarter.
The Labor Department recently reported that 178,000 net jobs were added in November, while the unemployment rate fell three-tenths of a percentage point to 4.6 percent _ the lowest since 2007. These positive economic signs mean the Federal Reserve is likely to announce Wednesday that it is raising interest rates.
November's growth was dragged down by a 0.5 percent decline for auto and other motor vehicle dealers. If that category is stripped out, overall retail sales grew 0.2 percent.
In all, 10 out of 13 categories reported growth.
Sales at electronics and appliance stores, always a popular category during Black Friday sales, grew 0.1 percent. Furniture store sales were up 0.7 percent.
Department stores, which have been struggling as shoppers increasingly turn online and to specialty boutiques, reported a 0.2 percent drop.
