> June 2009 Retail Sales

Total retail sales rose by 0.6 percent in June, following May’s 0.5 percent gain (unrevised from the initial estimate). On the surface, the impressive back-to-back gains could be taken as a sign that renewed consumer confidence is translating into stepped-up spending. Beneath the surface, however, the details of the June retail sales report are somewhat less inspiring, as was also the case with the May eport, with the bottom line being that the tone of consumer spending is weak and will remain so over coming months.

Click Here for Full Story