A report released by the Commerce Department on Tuesday showed retail sales in the U.S. increased by much less than expected in the month of June.
The Commerce Department said retail sales edged up by 0.2 percent in June after climbing by an upwardly revised 0.5 percent in May.
Economists had expected retail sales to advance by 0.5 percent compared to the 0.3 percent growth originally reported for the previous month.
Excluding a modest increase in sales by motor vehicles and parts dealers, retail sales still rose by 0.2 percent in June after rising by an upwardly revised 0.3 percent in May.
Economists had expected ex-auto sales to increase by 0.3 percent compared to the 0.1 percent uptick originally reported for the previous month.
