Retail sales up a solid 0.9% in May as the weather warmed and gasoline prices cooled

US retail sales rose by a solid 0.9% in May, following a revised 0.4% increase in April. This growth indicates that consumer demand remained resilient, aided by warming weather and cooling gasoline prices. The reported figures are not adjusted for inflation. According to Michael McKee on Bloomberg Television, the value of retail purchases jumped as consumers continued to spend, despite the influence of high gasoline prices throughout the period in the United States.