American consumers kept spending in June, just not quite as enthusiastically as the month before. Total US retail and food services sales hit $768.6 billion for the month, a 0.2% gain from May — the smallest monthly increase in five months. The number looks underwhelming until you realize gas stations were doing their best to drag it lower.
Strip out falling pump receipts and the picture brightens considerably. Motor vehicles and parts dealers grew sales by 1.9%, nonstore retailers (read: e-commerce) also rose 1.9%, and sporting goods and hobby stores added 1.3%.
What the numbers actually say
May’s figure was revised upward, from a 0.9% gain to a full 1.0%, which matters for context. The three-month stretch from April through June 2026 showed 6.4% growth compared to the same window a year earlier. Year-over-year, June came in at 6.7% above June 2025.
Consumer spending accounts for roughly two-thirds of US economic activity, which is why this Census Bureau release, published July 16, lands on trading desks like a small earthquake every month.
