WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales rose a modest 0.3 percent in January, a slight improvement over December, as unseasonably warm weather boosted sales at hardware stores and furniture stores.
The Commerce Department said Friday that the January advance followed a 0.2 percent rise in sales in December.
The overall economy grew at a 2.1 percent rate in the fourth quarter but consumer spending slowed sharply to a 1.8 percent growth rate, down from gains of 3.2 percent in the third quarter and a sizzling 4.8 percent rise in the second quarter.
