US retail sales rose slightly in January, held back by a drop in auto sales as consumers took a breather after December's holiday shopping season, official data released Wednesday showed. Retail and food services sales adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday differences rose 0.1 percent from December, matching analysts' average estimate, according to data released by the Commerce Department. January sales marked a slowdown from the 0.5 percent increase in December during the crucial year-end holiday shopping season.