December Retail Sales Drop 1.9 Percent as Inflation Hits US Consumers

Shoppers form a line outside of Lululemon at International Plaza in Tampa, Fla., on Nov. 26, 2021. Octavio Jones/Getty Images

U.S. retail sales fell a seasonally adjusted 1.9 percent in December, as inflation and supply issues weighed on prices, according to a Jan. 14 report from the Commerce Department.

A surge in COVID-19 cases because of the Omicron virus variant also was indicated as a factor for the decline in consumer confidence, as well as the higher prices.