Retail Sales Sharply Higher: A big jump...

Retail Sales Sharply Higher: A big jump in new car sales helped push retail sales up 1.6% last month, the biggest gain in more than a year, the Commerce Department said. The department said sales totaled a seasonally adjusted $146.4 billion and posted their steepest increase since a 2.1% gain in October, 1988. December sales, which originally were said to be up 0.2%, actually fell 0.2%. Excluding the often-volatile auto category, retail sales still rose 0.6% in January.