Consumers barely increased spending in May from April as still high inflation and high interest rates curbed spending.
Retail sales rose 0.1% in May, below the pace that economists projected, according to the Commerce Department. And April sales were revised downward — a 0.2% decline, from unchanged. Sales rose 0.6% in March and 0.9% in February. That comes after sales fell 1.1% in January, dragged down in part by inclement weather.
Excluding gas prices and auto sales, retail sales rose the same amount. Excluding sales from autos and auto parts, sales were down 0.1%.
The retail sales data offers only a partial look at consumer spending because it excludes things like travel and lodging. However at restaurants, the lone service category tracked in the monthly retail sales report, sales fell 0.4% in May.