US May ‘retail’ sales fall 1.3%
Record rise in wholesale prices
NEW YORK, June 15, (AP): Retail sales fell in May, dragged down by a decline in auto sales and a shift by Americans to spend more on vacations and other services instead of goods.
Total sales dropped a seasonal adjusted 1.3% in May from the month before, the U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday. Wall Street analysts expected a smaller decline of 0.5%.
Economists expected retail sales to drop last month because of the lack of cars available for sale due to a worldwide shortage of chips, which are needed to power in-car screens and other features. Sales at auto dealerships fell 3.7% last month, according to the Commerce Department.
Another reason for the decrease: As more people become vaccinated and head out more, Americans are spending more of their money on haircuts, trips and other services that are not included in Tuesday’s report. Sales fell at furniture, electronics and home building stores last month.
“Consumer spending growth through the rest of the year will shift to services from goods,” wrote PNC chief economist Gus Faucher.
Sales at restaurants rose nearly 2%, according to Tuesday’s report. And those seeking a new outfit to go out in helped sales at clothing stores rise 3%.
Meanwhile, wholesale prices, driven by rising food costs, increased 0.8% in May and by a unprecedented amount over the past year as the U.S. economy emerges from pandemic lockdowns and pushes inflation higher.
The monthly gain in the producer price index, which measures inflation pressure before it reaches consumers, followed a 0.6% increase in April and a 1% jump in March, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.
Food prices jumped a sizable 2.6% with the cost of beef and veal rising, though the cost of fresh fruits declined. Energy costs rose 2.2%, reversing a 2.4% drop in April.
Over the past 12 months, wholesale prices are up 6.6%, the largest 12-month increase on records going back to 2010. Core inflation, which excludes volatile categories such as food and energy, rose 0.7% in May, the same as April, while core inflation rose 5.3% over the past 12 months, the largest gain on records going back to 2014.
Nearly 60% wholesale price increase from May reflected a 1.5% jump in prices for goods. Prices for services rose by 0.6%.
Last week, the U.S. reported that consumer prices rose 0.6% in May with prices over the past year surging by 5%, the biggest 12-month gain in more than a decade.
Analysts said that the big jump in wholesale prices following the sizable gain in consumer prices underscores the current upward movement in inflation.
Shortages of raw materials and intermediate goods are driving a good portion of the rise in wholesale inflation, according to Michael Pearce, the senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.