Retail Sales Fall by For Fifth Straight Month

Retail sales fell 1.8% in November, the fifth consecutive month of decline, led by a continued drop in automobile and gasoline sales, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The drop, which followed a revised 2.9% downturn in October, was not as harsh as economists' projected 2% decline, Bloomberg reported.

Sales excluding automobiles fell 1.6%, also less than forecast. Auto sales fell 37% from the same month last year, making it the worst month since 1982, Bloomberg said.

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