U.S. retail edges up

WASHINGTON —  The U.S. Census Bureau announced that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for December, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $431.9 billion, an increase of 0.2% from the previous month, and 4.1% above December 2012. Retail trade sales were up 0.2% from November 2013, and 4.0% above last year.