Summary

• Headline retail sales rose 0.9% in May to $763.7 billion, climbing 6.9% year-over-year.
• Core retail sales grew 0.8% in May, marking a 12th consecutive monthly increase and a 7.5% year-over-year gain.
• Control purchases rose 0.7% in May, beating the 0.4% forecast and increasing 6.4% year-over-year.

By Jennifer Nash

According to the Census Bureau’s Advance Retail Sales Report, consumer spending climbed for the fourth straight month in May. Headline sales rose 0.9%, almost double the projected 0.5% growth and marking an acceleration from April's