WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Partly reflecting a sharp pullback in auto sales, the Commerce Department released a report on Tuesday showing retail sales in the U.S. tumbled by more than expected in the month of May.
The report said retail sales plunged by 1.3 percent in May following an upwardly revised 0.9 percent increase in April.
Economists had expected retail sales to slump by 0.8 percent compared to the unchanged reading originally reported for the previous month.
Excluding sales by motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales still slid 0.7 percent in May after coming in unchanged in April. Ex-auto sales were expected to inch up by 0.2 percent.
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