By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/retail-sales-rise-a-solid-0-5-in-july-from-june-helped-by-rebounding-auto-sales Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Retail sales rise a solid 0.5% in July from June helped by rebounding auto sales Economy Aug 15, 2025 10:00 AM EDT NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers stepped up their spending in July, particularly at the nation’s auto dealerships. Retail sales rose 0.5% last month, a slowdown from a revised 0.9% in June, according to the Commerce Department’s report released Friday. The increases followed two consecutive months of spending declines — a 0.1% pullback in April and a 0.9% slowdown in May. READ MORE: Average 30-year U.S. mortgage rate drops to lowest level since October Excluding auto sales, which have been volatile since President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on many foreign-made cars. retail sales rose 0.3%. Auto sales rose 1.6%. They appear to have returned roughly to normalized spending after a surge in March and April as Americans attempted to get ahead of Trump’s 25% duty on imported cars and parts and then a slump after that, according to Samuel Tombs, chief U.S. Economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. Business at clothing stores was up 0.7% while at electronics stores, sales were down 0.6%. Online retailers saw a 0.8% increase. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Associated Press Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers stepped up their spending in July, particularly at the nation’s auto dealerships. Retail sales rose 0.5% last month, a slowdown from a revised 0.9% in June, according to the Commerce Department’s report released Friday. The increases followed two consecutive months of spending declines — a 0.1% pullback in April and a 0.9% slowdown in May. READ MORE: Average 30-year U.S. mortgage rate drops to lowest level since October Excluding auto sales, which have been volatile since President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on many foreign-made cars. retail sales rose 0.3%. Auto sales rose 1.6%. They appear to have returned roughly to normalized spending after a surge in March and April as Americans attempted to get ahead of Trump’s 25% duty on imported cars and parts and then a slump after that, according to Samuel Tombs, chief U.S. Economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. Business at clothing stores was up 0.7% while at electronics stores, sales were down 0.6%. Online retailers saw a 0.8% increase. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now