Headline Roundup • February 14th, 2025
Retail Sales Dropped in January
Economy And Jobs,Inflation,Retail Sales,Retail,California Wildfires,Weather,Shopping Malls,Commerce Department
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Retail sales in January 2025, including those from online purchases, dropped 0.9% from December 2024, according to the US Department of Commerce.
The Details: Sales fell to the lowest point since March 2023 after rising in November and December; in December, they rose 0.7% from November. Online retail sales dropped 1.9% in January. Amidst the drop, the craft store Joann announced this week that it will be closing roughly 500 of its locations. “General merchandise stores” such as Walmart and Target saw a rise in sales.
For Context: Last February, The Daily Wire (Right bias) reported on a decline in January 2024 retail sales, pointing to inflation as the leading factor. Though inflation rose again in January 2025, outlets across the spectrum did not express a cause for immediate concern, suggesting that the data may indicate steady economic growth.
How the Media Covered It: Cold temperatures, California wildfires, and President Donald Trump’s pending tariffs were all listed as potential causes by outlets across the spectrum, with cold weather being foremost. The story was covered more prominently by the left, and many outlets on the right that published the story used reporting by the Associated Press (Left) and Reuters (Center).
Featured Coverage of this Story
U.S. consumers put a lid on their spending to kick off 2025, potentially indicating weaker economic growth prospects.
According to Census Bureau data, retail sales tumbled by 0.9 percent in January after increasing by 0.7 percent in December 2024.
The consensus forecast suggested a 0.1 percent drop.
Last month’s decline was the sharpest drop since March 2023, and market watchers attributed the lackluster consumer spending to harsh winter weather...
U.S. retail sales dropped by the most in nearly two years in January, likely weighed down by frigid temperatures, wildfires and motor vehicle shortages, suggesting a sharp slowdown in economic growth early in the first quarter.
But the larger-than-expected and across the board decline in retail sales reported by the Commerce Department on Friday probably does not reflect a material shift in consumer spending as it also followed four straight months of hefty increases...
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
U.S. retail sales dropped sharply last month, in part because cold weather kept more Americans indoors, denting sales at car dealers and most other stores.
Retail sales fell 0.9% in January from the previous month, the Commerce Department said, after two months of healthy gains. It was a much bigger drop than economists expected and the biggest decline in a year.
The average temperature in January was the lowest since 1988, according to Pantheon Macroeconomics, and was particularly disruptive in the more temperate South. Devastating fires in Los Angeles may have also impacted...
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