Retail Sales Gain Shows Resilient American Consumer

Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly advanced in April, helping ease concern of a sustained pullback in consumer spending that would stifle the economy.

The 0.1 percent gain followed a 0.5 percent decrease in March, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for a 0.3 percent drop. Retail purchases climbed by the most in four months minus receipts from service stations, where cheaper gasoline prices depressed the dollar value of sales.