The U.S. Census Bureau announced retail sales declined by 0.2 percent in May compared to April.

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for May, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $404.6 billion, a decrease of 0.2 percent from the previous month, but 5.3 percent above May 2011.

The chart above shows year over year change in retail sales and food sales, without gasoline sales.