US retail shows tentative signs of recovery

“In the latest sign that the world’s biggest economy may be emerging from the worst of the pandemic-induced recession, data collated by Mastercard published on Wednesday showed total US retail sales, excluding the automobile sector, dropped 5.6 per cent in May from a year ago. In April, the figures showed a 14.1 per cent decline. Home improvement, ecommerce and groceries helped offset weaker sales of clothing, jewellery and other more expensive products.”