Retail Sales Slip in May

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Bruce Andrew Peters for TT

Retail sales fell 1.2% in May, the biggest decline since September, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The decline followed a 0.6% gain in April that was bigger than originally reported.

Economists had forecast May sales would rise 0.2%, Bloomberg reported. Five of 13 categories declined, led by a 9.3% decline at building-materials stores.

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