Retail and food service sales rose marginally month-to-month to $419 billion in April, the U.S. Census Bureau said Monday.
Sales for the month were 0.1 percent higher than March and 3.7 percent higher
than April 2012, the gains ahead of the forecast, which called for a 0.3 percent
month-to-month drop.
The bureau said vehicle sales climbed 1 percent from March, while furniture
sales were flat. Building supply sales rose 1.5 percent, while gasoline sales
dropped 4.7 percent, largely due to falling prices.
Non-store sales, which includes Internet and catalog sales rose 1.4 percent from
March.
From April 2012, the figures change. On a 12-month basis, automobile sales rose
7.7 percent, while furniture sales rose 3.9 percent. Building supply sales are
up 4.1 percent from April 2012. Over the same period, gasoline station sales are
off 4.6 percent, while non-store sales are up 15.4 percent.
