December 13, 2005 8:45 AM, EST

November Retail Sales Rise 0.3%, Commerce Reports

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

ovember retail sales rose 0.3% over October, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

The increase, which matched October’s gain, was just below economists’ estimates of a 0.4% rise, Bloomberg reported.

Almost all trucking operations depend on the health of retail sales because such sales involve nearly every type of cargo.

Excluding automobile sales, retail sales fell by 0.3%, which was a bigger drop than the 0.1% expected by economists, Bloomberg said.

Vehicle sales rose to an annual rate of 15.7 million units in November from 14.7 million in October, a seven-year low. Purchases at automobile dealerships and parts stores rose 2.6%, following a 1.3% decline in October.

Sales at filling stations fell 5.9%, the biggest drop since April 2003, after a 0.6% drop in October, as retail fuel prices continued to decline.

Electronics and appliance store sales rose 0.5%.

Sales at general merchandise stores, including department stores, rose 0.1% after rising 1.1% in October.

Retail giants Wal-Mart and Target Corp. both saw their November sales rise, with Wal-Mart’s gaining 3.8% over the previous November, and Target’s rising 2.6% over a year earlier, Bloomberg reported.