Retail Sales Increase 1.3% in November

Retail sales rose 1.3% in November, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The increase followed a revised 1.1% gain in October. Economists had forecast November sales would rise 0.6%, Bloomberg reported.

Purchases excluding automobiles rose 1.2%, the biggest gain since January, while sales at auto and parts stores jumped 1.6% after a 7.1% jump in October.

Economists had forecast sales excluding automobiles to rise 0.4%.

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