WASHINGTON – Retail sales undershot again in June, in the minus column with a 0.2% decline.
The disappointingly weakish sales number was under expectations for a second month, though May was revised up to a smaller negative, -0.1% from the initial drop of 0.3%. April was brought down to a smaller plus, 0.3%.
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Core retail sales for the month, without counting autos, gasoline building materials and food services, were also a negative, down 0.1% after being flat in May, revised, after originally being reported up a tenth.
Among the categories, general merchandise stores posted a positive 0.4% but department stores were down 0.7%. The non-store retail, electronic and mail order, were up 0.4%. Building materials were up 0.5%. Electronics, furniture and motor vehicles were all up 0.1%.
But negative were restaurants which were off 0.6%, sporting goods and hobby shops, down the same amount, grocery stores with their half point decline.
Over a year, retail sales are up 2.8% through June and the most recent three months were up 3.8% compared to the previous three months.