Data released this week by the United States Department of Commerce and the National Retail Federation (NRF) pointed to flattish sequential gains for May retail sales, with slight annual improvement.
Commerce reported that May retail sales at $437.6 billion were up 0.3 percent over April and up 4.3 percent compared to May 2013, and total retail sales from March through May are up 4.3 percent annually.
The NRF said that May retail sales, which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants, were flat on a seasonally-adjusted and sequential basis for the second straight month in May, and saw a 3.0 percent unadjusted annual increase.
To read the complete article, please click here.