US Retail Sales Tick Up in January, Suggesting Consumer Strength

'While the US consumer is still strong, there are pockets of weakness in spending'

File photo showing a customer counting money at the register of a store in Manchester, N.H., on Nov. 22, 2012. Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters

Consumer spending, the main driver of the U.S. economy, rose slightly in January, giving a modest lift to America’s record-long economic expansion.

In January, overall retail sales, which reflect buying at physical stores and online, rose by 0.3 percent month-to-month, the Commerce Department said Friday. The figures are adjusted to smooth out seasonal fluctuations.