Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for January 2018, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $492.0 billion, a decrease of 0.3 percent from the previous month, but 3.6 percent above January 2017.

Total sales for the November 2017 through January 2018 period were up 4.9 percent from the same period a year ago. The November 2017 to December 2017 percent change was revised from up 0.4 percent to virtually unchanged. Retail trade sales were down 0.3 percent from December 2017, but 3.9 percent above last year. Nonstore Retailers were up 10.2 percent (±1.4 percent) from January 2017, while Gasoline Stations were up 9.0 percent (±1.6 percent) from last year.