Retail sales up slim 0.1% in Dec

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
Sales at U.S. retailers increased 0.1% in December to a seasonally adjusted $400.6 billion, the Commerce Department estimated Thursday
Sales rose an upwardly revised 0.4% in November
Details of the December report were mixed
Ahead of the report, economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected total sales to rise 0.3%
Excluding the 1.5% rise in motor vehicle sales, retail sales fell 0.2%
Economists had expected ex-auto sales to rise 0.3%
Core sales, excluding autos, gasoline and building materials, fell 0.2% in December after a 0.3% gain in November
This is the first drop in core sales since last December