U.S. retail sales rose 0.7 percent in December, pushed by sales of vehicles and gasoline, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

But the rise was less than the 0.9 percent jump that economists had been expecting.

In December, sales at electronics and appliance stores fell by 0.1 percent, while general merchandise dipped 0.3 percent and demand for clothes and clothing accessories were unchanged.

But sales at gasoline stations were up 0.9 percent after slumping 6.1 percent in November. Auto sales surged 2.6 percent in December, following a jump of 5.7 percent in November.

Retail sales in December rose just 0.2 percent when volatile auto sales were excluded. Economists had been predicting a rise of 0.4 percent for December.

Meanwhile, retail sales November were revised to a 0.8 percent gain from an advance of 0.3 percent estimated initially.

For all of 2005, retail sales rose by 7.3 percent after advancing 7.6 percent in 2004. Excluding autos, retail sales were up 8.3 percent last year, according to data released by the Commerce Department.

Source: Xinhua