Retail Sales Up 0.9% for April

Retail sales climbed 0.9% last month as a rebound in car sales helped erase a March slump in consumer spending, the government reported today.

The Commerce Department said retail sales totaled $112.2 billion in April after a 0.7% drop in consumer spending the month before.

Despite the increase in auto sales, consumer spending for all durable goods, items expected to last three or more years, was up only 0.6% in April following a 1.2% March decline.

Sales of non-durable goods rose 1.5% last month, regaining much of the ground lost in a 1.7% decline in March.