U.S. retail sales in 2019 could climb between 3.8 and 4.4 percent, “despite threats from an ongoing trade war, the volatile stock market and the effects of the government shutdown,” according to a report released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation. That would be less than growth of 4.6 percent in 2018, which NRF says is its preliminary estimate for retail sales last year, pending the release of December data from the Commerce Department that was stalled from being announced during the government shutdown. NRF in August of last year said it expected 2018 retail sales to be up at least 4.5 percent. This year, NRF says retail sales should amount to more than $3.8 trillion — excluding automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants. Read more at CNBC.
