Retail Sales Rise 0.6% in June

Retail sales rose 0.6% in June, led by gains in automobile and fuel purchases, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

The increase, which was the biggest gain since January, followed a revised 0.4% increase in May that was smaller than the 0.5% gain originally reported.

The increase was higher than economists’ projections of a 0.4% gain, Bloomberg reported.

Purchases excluding automobiles and gasoline fell for the fourth straight month. Excluding automobiles, sales rose 0.3% following a 0.4% comparative gain in May. Filling station sales jumped 5% for a second straight month.

Sales rose at electronics, grocery and sporting goods stores and fell at furniture and department stores.

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