After falling in October, Retail Sales rebounded in November, with the 0.3% rise coming in above expectations of a 0.2% decline. Sales were also up 4.1% when compared to November 2022.

What’s the bottom line? While slumping energy prices caused a decline in sales at gasoline stations, lower gas prices also freed up money for consumers to spend on other items. In fact, Retail Sales rose across most categories last month, with online shopping especially seeing a boost as sales at non-store retailers rose 1%. Overall, the data shows there was a strong start to the holiday shopping season as inflation continues to ease.