Updated: 14-Jun-17 09:36 ET
| May Retail Sales |
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| Updated: 14-Jun-17 09:36 ET |
Highlights
- Total retail sales decreased 0.3% in May (Briefing.com consensus 0.0%) while retail sales, excluding autos, also decreased 0.3% (Briefing.com consensus +0.2%).
Key Factors
- Core retail sales, which exclude auto, gasoline station, building materials, and food services sales, were basically flat versus April
- A drop in electronics and appliance store (-2.8%), gasoline station (-2.4%), and motor vehicle (-0.2%) sales were key drags on overall sales, yet there wasn't much strength seen in general
- Nonstore retailers (+0.8%) were the notable exception in terms of sales strength. Clothing and clothing accessories stores sales increased 0.3%.
Big Picture
- The key takeaway from this report is that consumers clearly remain guarded with their discretionary spending activity, which is likely the result of seeing little, if any, wage growth.
| Category | MAY | APR | MAR | FEB | JAN |
| Retail Sales | -0.3% | 0.4% | 0.1% | -0.2% | 0.5% |
| Excluding Autos | -0.3% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 1.1% |
| Durable goods | |||||
| Building Materials | 0.0% | 0.6% | -1.8% | 2.7% | 1.4% |
| Autos/parts | -0.2% | 0.5% | -0.5% | -1.5% | -1.6% |
| Furniture | 0.4% | -0.3% | 1.7% | 0.4% | 1.8% |
| Nondurable goods | |||||
| General Merchandise | -0.3% | 0.7% | 0.1% | -0.7% | 1.4% |
| Food | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 2.2% |
| Gasoline stations | -2.4% | 0.0% | -1.0% | 0.0% | 2.2% |
| Clothing | 0.3% | 0.2% | 2.0% | -2.6% | 0.7% |
| e*retailing/non-store | 0.8% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.3% |
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