Key Points:
- Retail sales, a measure of purchases at stores, restaurants and online, declined 0.9% in May, following a downwardly revised 0.1% drop in April.
- Consensus among economists was a 0.7% decline.
- Excluding autos, retail sales fell by 0.3% over the month.
- Retail sales were 3.3% above May 2024 while CPI data released earlier this month showed prices have increased 2.4% in the last year.
- Retail sales are not adjusted for inflation and reflect price differences as well as purchase amounts.
- Total sales for the March 2025 through May 2025 period were up 4.5% from the same period a year ago.
- The Right Facts will continue to monitor retail sales.