Retail Sales Rise 1.4% in June; Gain Is More Than Expected

etail sales rose 1.4% in June from the previous month, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

The increase followed a revised 0.3% gain in May that had originally been reported as a decline, which would have been the first drop in retail sales since August.

Almost all trucking operations depend on the health of retail sales because such sales involve nearly every type of cargo.

xcluding automobiles, June retail sales gained 0.7%, following a revised no change in May.

ales at automobile dealerships and auto parts stores rose 4.8%, the biggest gain since May 2004. Sales at filling stations rose 1.9%, after falling 0.5% a month earlier.

Sales at general merchandise stores, including department stores, rose 1.2% after a 0.1% increase the previous month.

Bloomberg reported that sales for the entire year were expected to rise 3.6%, compared with 3.8% last year.