WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. retail sales declined for the first time in eight months in May, tumbling a surprising 1.2%, the Commerce Department estimated Friday.
Seasonally adjusted sales were mixed across sectors, dominated by large declines at hardware stores, auto dealers, gas stations, department stores and clothing stores. Modest gains were found in most other types of stores.
The results were much worse than expected, as economists surveyed by MarketWatch were forecasting a 0.2% gain in sales. It was the first decline in sales since September 2009; the seven-month winning streak was the longest since 1999. The disappointing results are sure to provoke more talk about a possible double-dip recession following on the heels of last week's discouragingly weak payrolls report for May. Consumers face many constraints on spending, chiefly weak income growth against a very weak labor market. Credit is tight, and household wealth is likely falling again in the second quarter.
Still, it's folly to take one month's data as proof of anything. Sales had been quite strong through April. Even with May's drop, sales over the past three months are up 2.6% compared with the three months before that. Retail sales are up 6.9% compared with May 2009.
The sting from the big miss in expectations was tempered slightly by an upward revision to April's sales from a 0.4% to 0.6%.
The big surprise in May was auto sales, which fell 1.7% by dollar value, according to the government estimates. Automakers had reported a modest increase in unit sales.
Excluding autos, retail sales fell 1.1%, the largest decline since March 2009, after an upwardly revised 0.6% gain in April. Economists were expecting ex-auto sales to fall 0.3%.
Details of the report Sales at building materials and hardware stores plunged a record 9.3% in May, but that followed huge gains in March and April, which were likely boosted by various state programs subsidizing energy-efficient appliances.
Sales at auto dealers dropped 1.7%.
Sales at furniture stores rose 1%, and sales at electronics stores increased 0.6%.
Sales at gasoline stations fell 3.3% on lower prices.
Sales at general merchandise stores fell 1.1%, the largest decrease since December 2008. Department store sales fell 1.8%.
Sales at clothing stores fell 1.3%.
Sales at food and beverage stores increased 0.3%, while sales at restaurants and bars rose 0.1%.
Sales at health and personal care stores rose 0.3%.
Sales at stores catering to leisure-time pursuits, such as sports and reading, rose 0.4%.
Sales at nonstore retailers, such as catalogs and online stores, rose 2%.