Retail Sales Weak in June, Mastercard Says

New York, NY, Aug. 12, 2010--U.S. retail sales rose 0.1% last month from June, according to figures released Thursday by MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse, which estimates spending in all forms including cash.

Excluding autos, sales fell -- by 0.9%.

The tepid month-to-month increase reported by SpendingPulse for July, excluding the two volatile elements of gasoline and autos, follows a 0.5% decline from May to June and a 2.1% drop from April to May.

"It's growth, but it's pretty weak growth," said Kamalesh Rao, director of Economic Research for SpendingPulse.

Bright spots remained in online sales, electronics, airlines and lodging as Americans devoted their limited dollars to summer travel. Clothing, jewelry and luxury sales were weak.