Level maintained in December

Figures issued by the US Census Bureau reveal that, in December, retail sales of building materials, garden equipment and accessories in the USA were 5.8 per cent down on the comparable period in the previous year in real terms. The total volume of € 23.343 bn was slightly below the November figure which, after months of falling results, had brought an increase of nearly 2.3 per cent on the lowest point so far in October 2009.