In May, retail sales fell unexpectedly by 0.3 percent, as customers are affected by rising prices.

Sales were up 0.5 percent excluding automobiles, falling short of estimates of a 0.8 percent increase. For the month, advance retail and food service spending dipped 0.3 percent, missing the Dow Jones forecast of a 0.1 percent increase. 

The Commerce Department announced on Wednesday that retail sales fell in May as consumers cut back on spending as inflation rose.
 
Sales were much lower than in April, when they increased by a downwardly revised 0.7 percent from an earlier estimate of 0.9 percent.
 
The figures are unadjusted for inflation, which rose 1% on the headline number and 0.6 percent excluding food and energy for the month.
 
Online stores had a 1% dip in sales, while miscellaneous store retailers saw a 1.1 percent drop in sales. Bars and restaurants saw a 0.7 percent gain.
Despite a 4% gain in gas station sales, spending fell for the month,  due to record-high fuel prices, which peaked at $4.43 per gallon in May but  hovering around $5 now.   Vehicle and parts dealers saw a 3.5 percent drop, cancelling out the rise.
 
Consumers have remained robust over the inflationary period, leveraging their reserves to offset increasing costs. Sales were nonetheless up 8.1 percent on a year-over-year ratio.