- Value of purchases rose 0.1% in May after downward revisions
- Households have costlier debt, delinquencies continue to rise
US retail sales barely rose in May and prior months were revised lower, pointing to greater financial strain among consumers.
The value of retail purchases, unadjusted for inflation, increased 0.1% after an downwardly revised 0.2% drop in the prior month, Commerce Department data showed Tuesday. Excluding gasoline, sales rose 0.3%.
Of the 13 categories tracked by the Commerce Department, five showed declines as gasoline prices were cheaper in the month and furniture outlets offered discounts for Memorial Day.