The Commerce Department announced on Friday the sales at U.S. retailers plummeted 16.4 percent m-o-m in April, following a revised 8.3 percent m-o-m plunge in March (originally an 8.4 percent m-o-m tumble). That was the biggest monthly plunge on record.

Economists had expected total sales would tumble 12.0 percent m-o-m in April.

According to the report, sales of clothing and accessories, electronics, and at gasoline stations recorded the biggest declines.

Excluding auto, retail sales dropped 17.2 percent m-o-m in April after a revised 4.0 percent m-o-m decline in the previous month (originally a 4.2 percent m-o-m fall), much worse than economists' forecast of an 8.6 percent m-o-m fall.

In y-o-y terms, the U.S. retail sales declined 21.6 percent in April, following a revised 5.7 decrease in the previous month (originally a 5.8 percent drop).