Cars, e-retail drive U.S. growth

WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales made a slight gain in December, as consumers cautiously increased spending on holiday gifts and automobiles. The U.S. Commerce Department reported an increase of 0.6%, but excluding a 2.4% hike in auto sales and a 2% increase in spending at the gas pump, retail sales were flat. Online retailers, however, stood out as a growth segment, increasing by 1.3% while department stores lost 0.6% of sales compared with November.