Retail Sales Increase 0.4% in June

Retail sales rose 0.4% in June following a 0.5% rise in May, the Commerce Department reported Monday.

Eight of 13 major categories showed gains, led by a 1.8% increase in sales at auto dealerships.

Economists had forecast a 0.8% increase, Bloomberg News reported.

Cars and light trucks sold at an annual rate of 15.89 million in June, the fastest since November 2007, Bloomberg reported.

Sales excluding automobiles, fuel and building materials rose 0.1% in June after a 0.2% gain the previous month, Bloomberg reported.

Almost all trucking operations depend on the health of retail sales because such sales involve nearly every type of cargo.