People carry shopping bags as they visit a department store during the holiday season in New York City.
Eduardo Munoz | ReutersRetailers chalked up solid gains in the final month to wrap up the holiday season, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor for December.
The Retail Monitor, which excludes autos and gas, rose 0.4% in December, down from a gain of 0.8% in November, when the holiday shopping season traditionally kicks off.
For the year, the Retail Monitor increased by 3.1% and the core was up 2.4%.
But last October and January surprised with stronger gains than either November or December, suggesting the full holiday shopping season could be longer than it has been traditionally.
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Eduardo Munoz
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Reuters Retailers, CNBC, NRF, Monitor, Retail Monitor, Retail, P Retail
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