US retail sales record weakest monthly growth in 5 months

US retail sales rose 0.2% in June, marking the weakest monthly increase in five months, according to advance data released Thursday by the Census Bureau.

Retail and food services sales totaled $768.6 billion, matching market expectations after an upwardly revised 1% increase in May.

Sales were 6.7% higher than a year earlier, while total sales during the April-June period rose 6.4% from the same period in 2025.

The figures are adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences but not for price changes.

Lower gasoline prices weighed on the headline figure, with receipts at gasoline stations falling 5.3% from the previous month. Excluding gasoline stations, retail sales increased 0.7%.

Sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers and nonstore retailers, including online sellers, each rose 1.9%.

Receipts increased 1.3% at sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument and book stores, while electronics and appliance retailers posted a 0.8% gain.

Sales at building material and garden equipment stores, general merchandise retailers, and food services and drinking places also recorded modest gains.

By contrast, sales fell 0.8% at health and personal care stores, 0.3% at miscellaneous retailers and 0.2% at food and beverage stores. Furniture store sales were unchanged.

The retail control group, which excludes food services, auto dealers, building material stores and gasoline stations and is used in calculating gross domestic product, rose 0.5% in June.