Sales rose in 8 of 11 subsectors, representing 70% of retail trade.
Higher sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers and at gasoline stations were the main contributors to the gain in May. Excluding these two subsectors, retail sales were up 0.9%.
After removing the effects of price changes, retail sales in volume terms increased 2.0%.
Sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers (+3.7%) made almost a full rebound following a 3.8% decline in April, which had unseasonably cool temperatures and inclement weather in many parts of the country.