U.S. retail sales decline more than expected in May

The Commerce Department reported on Tuesday the sales at U.S. retailers fell 1.3 percent m-o-m in May, following a revised 0.9 percent m-o-m increase in April (originally unchanged m-o-m). This was the first monthly drop in retail sales in three months.

Economists had expected total sales would decrease 0.8 percent m-o-m in May.

According to the report, sales at building materials and garden equipment (-5.9 percent m-o-m), autos (-3.9 percent m-o-m) and electronics stores (-3.4 percent m-o-m) recorded the biggest declines in May.

Excluding auto, retail sales dropped 0.7 percent m-o-m in May after a revised flat m-o-m reading in the previous month (originally a 0.8 percent m-o-m decrease), being worse than economists’ forecast of a 0.2 percent m-o-m gain.

Meanwhile, closely watched core retail sales, which exclude automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, and are used in GDP calculations, decreased 0.7 percent m-o-m in May after a revised 0.4 percent m-o-m decline in April (originally a 1.5 percent m-o-m fall). 

In y-o-y terms, the U.S. retail sales jumped 28.1 percent in May after a revised 53.4 percent climb in the previous month (originally a 51.2 percent surge).