Retail sales fell in May, dragged down by a decline in auto sales and a shift by Americans to spend more on vacations and other services instead of goods.
Total sales dropped a seasonal adjusted 1.3% in May from the month before, the U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday. Wall Street analysts expected a smaller decline of 0.5%.
Economists expected retail sales to drop last month because of the lack of cars available for sale due to a worldwide shortage of chips, which are needed to power in-car screens and other features. Sales at auto dealerships fell 3.7% last month, according to the Commerce Department.
Another reason for the decrease: As more people become vaccinated and head out more, Americans are spending more of their money on haircuts, trips and other services that are not included in Tuesday's report. Sales fell at furniture, electronics and home building stores last month.
“Consumer spending growth through the rest of the year will shift to services from goods,” wrote PNC chief economist Gus Faucher.
Sales at restaurants rose nearly 2%, according to Tuesday's report. And those seeking a new outfit to go out in helped sales at clothing stores rise 3%.
With buildings responsible for over 40% of emissions worldwide, the CEO of Kelvin breaks down how its technology can be used to retrofit traditional radiators.
After battling inflation for years, now U.S. consumers have to prepare for stagflation, and, unfortunately, it could be more complicated to fix than a typical
Elf Labs CEO, David Phillips, speaks to Cheddar about how the company came to be and how it is bringing forth fairytale characters in new and exciting ways.
Don’t panic just yet, but it's starting to look like the economy is slowing down… AKA heading into what one analyst calls a ‘mild form of a recession.’
