Usa: excellent retail sales in May

According to a report drawn up by Thomson First Call, retail sales at the 68 leading stores and department stores in the United States were up 5.1% in May.

63% of retailers stated that sales were higher than expectations. The sector to draw most sales was clothing and accessories, with average increases fluctuating between 4 and 5%.

The trend was excellent for Federated Dept., Nordstrom, Talbots (+8.1%), Victoria's Secret (+3%), Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, Gap (+6%) and Ann Taylor (+9.9%).

The analysts tend to evaluate these figures very positively as the effect of May's tax cuts has already run its course. However, some sector experts fear the risk of a downturn in the consumption of non-essentials this month due to the hefty increase in petroleum products and some associated services.

(Source: Ice)