US retail sales rise modestly

US retail sales rose modestly in June, dragged down by a drop in gas-station receipts that masked strong gains at some merchants.

The value of retail purchases rose 0.2% in June after a revised 1% advance in May, Census Bureau data showed Thursday. The figures are not adjusted for inflation. Outside of gasoline stations, sales increased 0.7%.

Metric
Actual
Estimate

Retail sales (MoM)
+0.2%
+0.2%

Sales ex. autos, gas (MoM)
+0.4%
+0.4%

‘Control group’ sales (MoM)
+0.5%
+0.5%

Seven of 13 retail categories posted gains. Gasoline-station receipts fell 5.3% as average national pump prices fell roughly 50 cents a gallon in June. Receipts at nonstore retailers jumped 1.9%, possibly boosted by Amazon.com’s Prime Day event. Other discretionary categories, such as sporting goods and hobby stores as well as electronic and appliance stores, also increased.

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Spending at restaurants and bars, the only service-sector category in the retail report, edged up.

The report signals continued resilience in consumer spending heading into the summer months. Cheaper gas offered households some breathing room for discretionary purchases last month, while sales promotions likely also lifted spending.

Bank of America Corp card data showed spending picked up steam across income groups in June, with lower-income households in particular benefiting from reduced prices at the pump. And online spending across all retailers was up during Amazon’s Prime Day sale compared to last year’s event, according to Adobe.

© 2026 Bloomberg

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