(REUTERS) — WASHINGTON - U.S. retail sales recorded their largest decline in 11 months in December as demand fell almost across the board, tempering expectations for a sharp acceleration in consumer spending in the fourth quarter.
The Commerce Department said on Wednesday retail sales fell 0.9 percent last month after a 0.4 percent increase in November.
It was the biggest decline since last January and exceeded economists' expectations for only a 0.1 percent drop and implied a slower pace of consumer spending at the end of 2014.
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