Retail and food sales made their largest monthly drop in January since March 2023, marking an end to the buying surge that took off in the run-up to the 2024 election. Sales fell by 0.9 percent to

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.

U.S. retail sales slumped in January by the most in nearly two years, indicating an abrupt pullback by consumers after a spending spree in 2024.