RETAILING

December Retail Sales Show Modest Growth: Holiday shoppers kept their spending in check this year, pushing retail sales for December up 8.1% overall, according to Johnson Redbook Services, which tracks retail inventory. The season’s sales at malls across the country were up just 6.8% from a year ago, according to a survey of stores in 23 major malls conducted by the International Council of Shopping Centers and DRI/McGraw Hill. Johnson Redbook also said that sales at department and chain stores in December were down 0.8% from November.