"Surprising Plummet: Retail Sales Take Unforeseen Nose Dive"

Retail sales unexpectedly dropped by 0.8 percent in January, with negative revisions also impacting December's figures. Despite claims of strong consumer demand, the economy is facing inflationary pressures, as evidenced by declining car and gasoline sales. When factoring in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the real decline in sales is even steeper. Additionally, credit card and auto delinquencies are on the rise, indicating potential stress on consumer credit.