US retail sales rose 0.9% month-over-month in May 2026, accelerating from a downwardly revised 0.4% increase in April and surpassing market expectations of a 0.5% gain, indicating solid consumer spending. The strongest increase was recorded at gasoline stations (3.4%), reflecting continued rises in fuel prices amid the war with Iran. These figures are not adjusted for inflation.
Excluding gasoline stations, retail sales advanced a robust 0.7%. Gains were led by miscellaneous store retailers (2.3%), nonstore retailers (1.5%), motor vehicles and parts dealers (1.2%), furniture stores (1.0%), health and personal care stores (0.6%), general merchandise stores (0.4%), sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument stores (0.3%), and clothing stores (0.3%).
By contrast, sales were flat at building material and garden equipment suppliers, as well as food and beverage stores, and declined at food services and drinking places (-0.1%) and electronics and appliance stores (-0.5%).
Meanwhile, the so‑called control group—retail sales excluding food services, auto dealers, building materials stores, and gasoline stations, which feeds directly into GDP calculations—climbed 0.7% in May, following a 0.5% increase in April.
