The U.S. retail sales report came in today. Numbers were wear, down 1.2%, in what BMO Nesbitt Burns calls “a mixed bag.”

“It does show that consumers are becoming less enthusiastic spenders,” said BMO in its release, “but also that they are not yet slamming their wallets shut. Retail activity provided few surprises, coming in close to expectations.”

The headline was dragged down by a sharp decline in auto sales, as auto producers temporarily reined in incentive programs. Ex-autos, retail activity was up an as-expected 0.1%. There were also declines in clothing, furniture and department store sales. Sales increases were found in building materials, health care and sporting goods.

“U.S. consumers are starting to show some caution in their spending behavior. However, there are still some clear pockets of underlying support, mainly from housing-related sectors, which could find help in the recent wave of mortgage refinancing activity,” said BMO’s report.