Retail sales were up sharply in 2011, at a record 4-point-7 trillion dollars nationwide, which was almost 8 percent higher than in the previous year, but there's a not-so-silver lining.
Some good news for Garden State retailers - retail sales across the nation totaled a record 4.7 trillion dollars in 2011 – a gain of almost 8 percent over the previous year.
Retail sales barely rose in December, but the gain was enough to push sales to a record level for 2011. It was the largest annual increase in more than a decade.