FILE - Purchases are made in a retail store in Northbrook, Ill., Monday, May 13, 2024. On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, the Commerce Department releases U.S. retail sales data for May. Shoppers consider rug samples on display in a furniture store Sunday, June 2, 2024, in Lone Tree, Colo. On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, the Commerce Department releases U.S. retail sales data for May. FILE - Purchases are made in a retail store in Northbrook, Ill., Monday, May 13, 2024.
Retail sales rose 0.1% in May, below the pace that economists projected, according to the Commerce Department. And April sales were revised downward — a 0.2% decline, from unchanged. Sales rose 0.6% in March and 0.9% in February. That comes after sales fell 1.1% in January, dragged down in part by inclement weather.
Excluding gas prices and auto sales, retail sales rose the same amount. Excluding sales from autos and auto parts, sales were down 0.1%. The retail sales data offers only a partial look at consumer spending because it excludes things like travel and lodging. However at restaurants, the lone service category tracked in the monthly retail sales report, sales fell 0.4% in May.