European Investor
17 Jun 2026, 14:41
U.S. Retail Sales Beat Expectations, Signaling Resilient Consumer Spending
U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in May, providing fresh evidence that consumer spending remains a key source of strength for the economy despite elevated interest rates and signs of slowing growth in other sectors.
Headline retail sales rose 0.9% month-over-month, well above economists' expectations of 0.5% and accelerating from April's 0.4% increase. Core retail sales, which exclude certain volatile categories and are closely watched as a gauge of underlying consumer demand, increased 0.8%, beating forecasts of 0.6% and improving from 0.7% in the previous month.
U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in May, providing fresh evidence that consumer spending remains a key source of strength for the economy despite elevated interest rates and signs of slowing growth in other sectors.
Headline retail sales rose 0.9% month-over-month, well above economists' expectations of 0.5% and accelerating from April's 0.4% increase. Core retail sales, which exclude certain volatile categories and are closely watched as a gauge of underlying consumer demand, increased 0.8%, beating forecasts of 0.6% and improving from 0.7% in the previous month.