Retail sales surge 3.8% in Jan. as threat of omicron eases

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans picked up the spending pace in January 2022 as the threat of omicron faded and there was some easing of supply shortages. Retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 3.8% last month compared to the prior month when the number dropped a revised 2.5%.  Sales at general merchandise stores rose 3.6% while department stores saw business up 9.2%. Online sales surged 14.5%  The retail report released Wednesday (Feb. 16, 2022) covers only about a third of overall consumer spending and doesn’t include services such as haircuts, hotel stays and plane tickets.