Retail Sales Rise 0.1% in May, Commerce Reports

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.S. retail sales rose 0.1% in May, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

ales rose to $364.2 billion, and the increase followed a revised 0.8% rise in April that had originally been reported at 0.5%.

The May gain matched economists’ forecasts, Bloomberg reported.

Excluding automobiles, sales rose 0.5% following a 0.8% increase. Sales at filling stations rose 1.9%, led by higher prices, following a 5.5% rise in April.

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

Retail sales account for almost half of all consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of the economy.