As expected Retail Sales were weak in December. Also November and October were revised down slightly. From the Census Bureau:

ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES FOR RETAIL TRADE AND FOOD SERVICES

DECEMBER 2007

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for December, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $382.9 billion, a decrease of 0.4 percent (±0.7%) from the previous month, but 4.1 percent (±0.7%) above December 2006. Total sales for the 12 months of 2007 were up 4.2 percent (±0.4%) from 2006. Total sales for the October through December 2007 period were up 4.9 percent (±0.5%) from the same period a year ago. The October to November 2007 percent change was revised from +1.2 percent (±0.7%) to +1.0 percent (±0.2%).

Retail trade sales were down 0.4 percent (±0.7%) from November 2007, but were 4.3 percent (±0.8%) above last year. Gasoline station sales were up 18.5 percent (±2.8%) from December 2006 and sales of nonstore retailers were up 12.1 percent (±1.8%) from last December.

This is not total capitulation but it does show softness and combined with rising delinquencies among all classes of consumer credit, it looks as though the resilient US consumer is starting to act more cautiously.