U.S. retail sales in January fell 0.8% from the previous month, far below market expectations

U.S. retail sales in January decreased by 0.8% compared to the previous month.

The trend in consumer spending, which has been supporting the American economy, is likely to be the focus going forward, as it is far below market expectations.

The US Department of Commerce announced on the 15th that retail sales for January were $700.291 billion, or approximately 105 trillion yen in Japanese yen.

This was a 0.8% decrease compared to December last year, which was much lower than market expectations, which expected a decrease of around 0.1%.

By item, ``Automobiles and auto parts'' and ``Gas stations'' both decreased by 1.7%, ``Healthcare'' decreased by 1.1%, and ``Online shopping, etc.'' decreased by 0.8%.

Additionally, sales in December last year were revised downward from an increase of 0.6% to an increase of 0.4%.

In the United States, consumer spending, which has remained strong even under high interest rates, has been supporting the economy, but is the drop in retail sales in January a temporary thing or a downward trend? This is likely to become a focal point in predicting the future of the American economy and the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve Board.