Core retail sales in the United States rose 0.8% month-over-month in May 2026, slightly above April’s revised 0.7% increase, according to data updated on 17 June 2026. The core measure excludes some volatile categories and is closely watched as a gauge of underlying consumer spending strength.
The May reading indicates that consumer demand continued to firm as spring progressed, with the pace of growth modestly accelerating compared with the previous month. On a month-over-month basis, April’s 0.7% gain reflected an improvement over March, and May’s 0.8% advance extends that upward trend.
Because the indicator is measured on a month-over-month basis, May’s figure shows how spending changed relative to April, while the previous 0.7% result captured April’s change compared with March. Together, the back-to-back increases point to resilient consumer activity in the core segments of the U.S. retail sector.
