The U.S. Census Bureau reported a 0.5% increase in retail and food services sales for April 2026. This growth marks a slowdown from the revised 1.6% increase recorded in March. The April figure matched economist expectations.
Retail sales climbed 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Rising fuel costs led consumers to reduce spending on non-essential categories like clothing and furniture. Retail spending rose 0.3% when excluding gasoline station sales.
The retail control group, used for GDP calculations, increased 0.5%. This data suggests a firm start for second-quarter economic growth. Consumers remain resilient despite persistent inflationary pressures from energy prices.