By Jeffry Bartash
(MarketWatch) WASHINGTON - U.S. retail sales rose 0.6% in December, marking the sixth straight monthly increase, as consumers bought more goods from online retailers, drug stores and building-supply companies. Excluding the volatile automotive sector, retail sales rose 0.5%, the Commerce Department reported Friday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had forecast total sales to rise by 0.8%, or a slightly lower 0.7% excluding the auto segment. Auto sales often swing sharply from month to month and can mask underlying retail trends. Retail sales in November, meanwhile, were unchanged from the original reading of 0.8%. For all of 2010, retail sales rose 6.6% compared to 2009.
