WASHINGTON — Retail sales edged up 0.1% in June as auto sales bounced back, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
Sales excluding autos were unchanged for the month. Total sales for May were revised higher to a 0.1% decline from a 0.2% drop reported initially. May sales excluding autos were revised to a 0.2% gain from the 0.3% rise reported last month.
June motor vehicle and parts sales increased 0.8%, the largest gain since February, as sales began to recover following the March crisis in Japan. Auto sales for May were revised to a 1.8% decline, up from a sharp 2.9% plunge reported last month.
Economists predicted retail sales would be unchanged in June and sales excluding autos would increase 0.1%.
