A sale sign is displayed near the entrance of a Hallmark store Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. Retail sales fell for a third straight month, as a surge in virus cases kept people away from stores and restaurants during the holiday shopping season.
The U.S. Commerce Department said Friday that retail sales fell a seasonally adjusted 0.7% in December from the month before, a decline Wall Street analysts weren't expecting.
The Commerce Department said sales even fell online, down nearly 6% after rising 19% for the year.
At restaurants and bars, sales fell 4.5% in December as states restricted in-person dining, ending the year down 21%.
The nationās largest retail trade group said that when car, restaurant and gas sales are taken out, and when non-seasonably adjusted numbers are compared from a year ago instead of month to month, sales in November and December actually rose 8.3% from the year before.