Sales at U.S. sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores reached $76.9 billion in November, up 6.3 percent from November 2010 and 0.3 percent from October, 2011, according to advance estimates released by U.S. Census Tuesday.
Sales at U.S. clothing and clothing accessories stores, meanwhile, reached $195.7 billion, up 5.6 percent from November 2010 and 0.5 percent from October, according to the estimates.
For the three-month September- through-November period, those same sales rose at a 2.2 percent rate compared to the preceding June-through-August quarter.
The increase compared to a 7.8 percent year-over-year increase in total retail and food services sales, including gasoline. The advance estimates, which are based on a survey of fewer retailers than preliminary estimates, estimated that total retail and food services sales, including gas, rose just 0.2 percent from October, indicating sales growth slowed significantly from the pace in either October or September.
The U.S. Census Bureau will release its preliminary estimates on November sales Dec. 12 with its advance estimate of December sales.
