American retail sales grew surged in May after a dismal April, offering some encouraging news about the prospects of economic recovery and delivering a potential glimpse toward the near-term future in Massachusetts, where reviving public activity has lagged other parts of the nation.
U.S. retail sales for the month of June were $506.8 billion, an increase of 0.5 percent from the prior month and up 6.6 percent year-over-year, according to the Census Bureau.
U.S. retail sales were unexpectedly flat in July as Americans cut back on purchases of clothing and other goods, pointing to a moderation in consumer spending that could temper expectations of an acceleration in economic growth in the third quarter.
