by Calculated Risk on 6/14/2016 08:38:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales were up 0.5% from April to May (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 2.5% from May 2015.

From the Census Bureau report:

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for May, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $455.6 billion, an increase of 0.5 percent from the previous month, and 2.5 percent above May 2015. ... The March 2016 to April 2016 percent change was unrevised at up 1.3 percent (±0.2%).

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows retail sales since 1992. This is monthly retail sales and food service, seasonally adjusted (total and ex-gasoline).

Retail sales ex-gasoline were up 0.3%.

The second graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993.

Retail and Food service sales ex-gasoline increased by 3.6% on a YoY basis.

The increase in May was above expectations for the month, and retail sales for March and April were revised up. A solid report.