- by New Deal democrat
As promised, now that we know the CPI reading for December, here is a comparison of nominal retail sales (blue, left scale) with real retail sales (red, right scale):
In real terms, retail sales in December were higher than any other month in history, except for November. The positive trend in consumer purchasing is firmly intact.
UPDATE: And while we're at it, industrial production tells the same story. Down -0.1% in December after rising +1.1% in November:
In other words, up 1% over every other month ever, except for November.
