Total retail sales increased 0.3% (4.7% y/y) during April following a 0.8% March gain, revised from 0.6%. The rise matched expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Excluding motor vehicles and parts, retail sales improved 0.3% (4.8% y/y) after a 0.4% March gain, revised from 0.2%. A 0.5% increase had been expected.

Clothing & accessory store sales jumped 1.4% (4.1% y/y), rebounding after a 0.2% decline. Nonstore retailers posted a 0.6% rise (9.6% y/y) in sales after two monthly increases of roughly 1.0%. Furniture & home furnishing store sales increased 0.8% (6.1% y/y) after strengthening 1.4%. Electronics & appliance store sales eased, however, by 0.1% (+1.7% y/y) following a 0.7% gain. Building materials, and garden equipment store sales rose 0.4% (4.4% y/y) after a 1.4% decline. General merchandise store sales improved 0.3% (2.5% y/y) following a 0.4% rise. Sales of motor vehicles & parts ticked 0.1% higher (4.3% y/y) on the heels of a 2.1% rise. The increase compared to a 1.8% decline in unit vehicle sales reported earlier this month. To the downside were sporting goods, hobby, book & music store purchases which slipped 0.1% (-1.1% y/y), the fifth decline in six months.

Purchases at gasoline service stations increased 0.8% (11.7% y/y) as the pump price of gasoline rose 7.5% m/m.

Sales of nondiscretionary items were mixed last month. Health & personal care store sales fell 0.4% (-0.4% y/y) after a 1.1% jump. Food & beverage store sales improved 0.4% (3.4% y/y), the strongest rise in six months.

Individuals took a break from eating out last month. Food service & drinking establishment sales fell 0.3% (+3.8% y/y) after a 1.2% increase. It was the first meaningful decline since February of last year.

The retail sales data can be found in Haver's USECON database. The Action Economics forecast is in the AS1REPNA database.