US retail sales in December beat expectations 15 January 2013 Last updated at 15:37 US retail sales rose in December by more than analysts had expected as Americans spent more on cars and home furnishings, figures show. Sales totalled $415.7bn (£259bn) in the month, up 0.5% on the previous month, the Commerce Department said. Compared with a year earlier, sales rose 4.7%. With consumer spending accounting for about 70% of US economic activity, analysts said the figures were good news for the economy. Sales of cars and car parts rose by 1.6% from November, while sales of furniture and personal care products were 1.4% higher. "[The figures] suggest a resilient consumer in the face of the fiscal cliff debates," said Joe Manimbo at Western Union Business Solutions. It offers a favourable sign for fourth-quarter growth. Policymakers spent much of December trying to agree a deal to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, which would have seen tax rises and spending cuts kick in at the beginning of January. They eventually agreed to postpone a deal pending negotiations on the size of the cuts and tax rises. Analysts said that consumer spending could suffer when the measures are implemented.