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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 15 January 2022
December retail sales fall 1.9% after early holiday rush

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO sales surged 8.5% from Nov.
AP Retail Writer 1 through Dec. 24 from a
NEW YORK (AP) — Ameri- year earlier. That was the
cans, beset by lack of prod- fastest pace in 17 years.
uct choices, rising prices "Consumer spending will
and the arrival of omicron, remain the cornerstone of
sharply cut their spending economic growth this year,
in December after a burst but the near-term path will
of early buying in the fall be choppy amid surging
boosted this year's holiday Omicron cases," said Lydia
shopping season. Boussour, lead U.S. Econo-
Retail sales fell a seasonally mist at Oxford Economics.
adjusted 1.9% in December Boussour believes that af-
from November when sales ter a soft patch in the first
increased 0.3%, the U.S. quarter, spending should
Commerce Department rebound in the spring due
said Friday. Sales rose 1.8% to strong wage growth and
in October as shoppers, savings.
worried about product Stephen Stanley, chief
shortages, got a head start economist at Amherst Pier-
on their holiday buying. Still, point, agreed, pointing to
retail sales surged 16.9% a strong labor market and
last month compared with massive pent-up demand
December 2020, the Com- Associated Press and "a mountainous pile of
merce Department said covers only about a third of we living through that has have not pulled back on extra cash to spend."
Friday. For all of 2021, sales overall consumer spending skewed a number of eco- spending. They are spend- "People will spend again
spiked 19.3% compared and doesn't include money nomic indicators. Many ing their money different- once the Omicron wave
with the previous year. spent on things like hair- economists believe that ly, but they are spending fades," Stanley predicted.
Spending declines were cuts, hotel stays or plane the seasonal adjustment more, not less. The omicron variant has led
spread across numerous tickets, all which tend to of retail sales has been The National Retail Fed- to widespread worker short-
sectors. Department store see business tail off when thrown off by the pandem- eration is crunching last ages with so people calling
sales fell 7%, restaurant anxiety about COVID-19 ic, which has scrambled month's sales figures and out sick, including the retail
sales slipped 0.8% and on- tick higher. In November, American spending pat- will release its report Friday sector, and supply short-
line sales fell 8.7% com- restaurant sales posted a terns. Seasonal adjustment for November and De- ages have curtailed what
pared with the previous 1% gain — the sector's best is intended to account for cember. The nation's larg- makes it to store shelves.
month, according to the performance since July. the normal spike in shop- est retail trade group has Stores and restaurants have
report. Industry analysts suspect ping in December for the projected record-busting slashed operating hours or
Omicron was identified by that shoppers who waited holiday season. This year, growth of anywhere be- remained closed on days
the World Health Organiza- until the last minute and however, because of well- tween 8.5% and 10.5%, they had previously been
tion in late November, and didn't find what they want- known shortages, Ameri- compared with the same open. This week, Lululemon
the December report from ed and took a pass or they cans started to shop for two months last year. warned that fourth-quarter
the Commerce Depart- bought gift cards, would the holidays early and the Mastercard SpendingPulse, sales and profits will likely
ment is the first to capture would not show up in retail seasonal adjustment could which tracks all kinds of come in at the low end of
some of its effect on con- data until those cards are have exaggerated any De- payments including cash its expectations as it grap-
sumer behavior. redeemed. cember retreat. and debit cards, reported ples with the variant's fall-
The monthly retail report There is also the unique era And Americans this year late last month that holiday out. q

Yellow ribbons removed from town

green amid speech dispute

quietly Thursday by a local new enforcement of the or- Caron said. “There’s a lot of
official enforcing an ordi- dinance. Seventeen peo- people that are very upset.
nance banning placards ple in the audience spoke ... This is not over.”
and other postings on the in opposition to removing Carr removed the ribbons
green, which dates to the the ribbons at the Decem- late Thursday morning,
early 1700s. The concern? ber meeting, and none stuffing them into a back-
Allowing the ribbons opens spoke in favor, according pack as she walked her
the door to any displays to borough records. dog on a nearly deserted
Associated Press
of free speech, no matter Val Caron, a retired electri- town green.
By DAVE COLLINS Associ- Yellow ribbons had how hateful or offensive it cian whose son is in the Air “When it comes to a public
ated Press adorned trees on the his- might be. Force, had been tending space like that, if you allow
LITCHFIELD, Conn. (AP) — A toric Litchfield Town Green Controversy over the rib- the ribbons with his wife for some speech you have to
symbol of support for U.S. since the start of the U.S. bons has flared occasion- more than a decade. He allow all speech,” Carr said
troops has become the war in Iraq in 2003, placed ally over the years and said he is considering legal in a phone interview. “But
centerpiece of a conten- there by families with rela- recently remerged in the action to put the ribbons under the (borough) code
tious free-speech debate tives serving overseas in the Borough of Litchfield. In back up. we are allowed to say no
in this small town in the hills military. December, acting Warden “What they did is they speech, and that doesn’t
of northwestern Connecti- But the five remaining rib- Gayle Carr and the board slapped everybody in the discriminate against
cut. bons were taken down of burgesses voted to re- military right in the face,” anybody.”q