Retail Sales Jump 1% in May

Retail sales jumped 1% in May, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The increase was the most since November and followed a 0.4% gain in April that was previously reported as a 0.2% decline. Purchases excluding gasoline rose 0.8%.

The increase was about double economists’ forecasts, Bloomberg said.

Purchases of electronics rose 0.7%, while department store sales jumped 1.2%, the most in more than a year.

Purchases at auto dealerships and parts stores gained 0.3%, after falling 2.1% in April. Filling station sales surged 2.6%, on higher prices.
 
Almost all trucking operations depend on the health of retail sales because such sales involve nearly every type of cargo.