U.S. retail sales slumped in December by the most in 10 months, suggesting the fastest inflation in decades is taking a greater toll on consumers just as the nation confronts more coronavirus infections. The value of overall purchases decreased 1.9 per cent, after a revised 0.2 per cent gain a month earlier, Commerce Department figures showed Friday. The figures aren’t adjusted for inflation, suggesting price-adjusted receipts were even weaker than the headline number. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey called for a 0.1 per cent drop in overall retail sales from the prior month. The year-end slide in retail ... (full story)