Retail Sales April 2026: Americans Spent More — But Gas Prices Are Doing All the Work

# Retail Sales April 2026: Americans Spent More — But Gas Prices Are Doing All the Work

> **Quick answer:** U.S. retail sales rose 0.5% in April 2026 to $757.1 billion — the third straight monthly gain. But strip out gas station receipts (up 2.8% on the month, 20.9% year-over-year) and the picture darkens fast. Furniture, clothing, and department stores all declined. Consumer sentiment is at a 74-year low. The headline number is flattered by expensive gasoline, not by Americans feeling flush.

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Retail sales April 2026 results came in at $757.1 billion Thursday, rising 0.5% from March and 4.9% year-over-year — exactly matching Wall Street's forecast. Sounds solid. But the story underneath the number is decidedly less cheerful: a historic surge in gasoline prices, driven by Iran's disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, is doing the heavy lifting. Real consumer demand across discretionary categories is pulling back.

## What the Census Bureau Actually Said

The U.S. Census Bureau's Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey, released May 15, 2026, showed total retail and food services sales of $757.1 billion for April, up 0.5% month-over-month and up 4.9% from April 2025. It marked the third consecutive monthly increase.