Retail Apparel Prices Fell in December and 2017, as Overall CPI Rose

The deflationary trend in apparel and footwear prices continued in 2017. Retail apparel prices fell 0.5% in December from a month earlier, the fourth consecutive monthly decline, while footwear prices also dipped, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in its monthly Consumer Price Index. Women’s apparel and retail apparel prices declined a seasonally adjusted 0.6%,…