The Commerce Department announced on Friday the sales at U.S. retailers rose 0.2 percent m-o-m in November, following a revised 0.4 percent m-o-m advance in October (originally a 0.3 percent m-o-m gain), helped by increased motor vehicle purchases and higher gasoline prices.

Economists had expected total sales would increase 0.5 percent m-o-m in November.

Excluding auto, retail sales edged up 0.1 percent m-o-m in November after a revised 0.3 percent m-o-m increase in the previous month (originally a 0.2 percent m-o-m advance), missing economists’ forecast for a 0.4 percent m-o-m gain.

Meanwhile, closely watched core retail sales, which exclude automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, and are used in GDP calculations, inched up 0.1 percent m-o-m in November after an unrevised 0.3 percent m-o-m rise in October.

In y-o-y terms, the U.S. retail sales surged 3.3 percent in November, following a 3.2 climb in the previous month.