U.S. Retail Sales Decline for a Record Sixth MonthBy Bob...

U.S. Retail Sales Decline for a Record Sixth Month

By Bob Willis

Jan. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Sales at U.S. retailers fell more than twice as much as forecast in December as job losses and the choking-off of credit led Americans to cut back on everything from eating out to car purchases.

The 2.7 percent decrease, the sixth consecutive drop, extended the longest string of declines in records going back to 1992, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Purchases excluding automobiles slumped 3.1 percent.

Today’s figures indicate that the hit to spending in the recession is even deeper than estimated, and spurred a slide in stock-index futures. The loss of 2.6 million jobs and declining home and stock values are squeezing households, hurting retailers from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to Tiffany & Co., which today said its holiday sales fell 21 percent and cut its earnings forecast.