November core retail sales up more than expected

Washington

US CONSUMER spending advanced at a brisk clip in November as lower petrol prices gave the holiday shopping season a boost, offering the latest sign of underlying momentum in the economy.

The Commerce Department said on Thursday that retail sales excluding automobiles, petrol, building materials and food services, increased 0.6 per cent last month after an unrevised 0.5 per cent rise in October.

The so-called core retail sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product…