U.S. retail sales unexpectedly declined in April, the Commerce Department said yesterday. The value of overall sales declined 0.2 percent after a 1.7 percent increase in March that had been the strongest gain since 2017.
Overall consumer spending, which includes spending on services such as haircuts and travel, had jumped in March by the most in nearly a decade, but April was a different story. One example of the turnaround: Sales at automobile dealers fell 1.1 percent after increasing 3.2 percent in the previous month.
Sales at clothing stores fell 0.2 percent in April, and by 1.9 percent at home and garden supply stores. Other down sectors included health and personal care, and electronics and appliances. Categories with increases included general merchandise, food and beverage stores, and restaurants and bars.
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