WASHINGTON – Retail sales were down 0.2 percent in May, the second straight monthly decline, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday. The government had originally reported that retail sales were up slightly – 0.1 percent – from March to April, but that figure was revised to a 0.2 percent decline.
The figures for retail sales, which include food services, come as consumer confidence has dropped amid Europe’s economic problems, according to some gauges. Producer prices fell 1 percent in May after a 0.2 percent decrease in April.
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