US retail sales fell 0.9% month-on-month in May, a weaker outcome than the -0.6% MoM figure predicted by the market. April’s figure was also revised lower to a -0.1% MoM contraction from the initially reported +0.1% MoM outcome.
This was largely a weak autos (-3.5%), building materials (-2.7%) and gasoline (-2%) story with clothing (+0.8), miscellaneous (+2.9%) and non-store retail (+0.9%) performing better. Tariff front running led to a surge in auto sales in March, but this has now completely reversed. The chart below shows different retail sales component levels indexed to 100 for February 2020 and highlights how dominant non-store (internet) retail has become in terms of being the source of retail spending growth.