the numbers sales at us retailers rebounded 04 in april largely because of strong demand for new autos and higher consumer spending online offering a respite from a broader slowdown in consumer spending sales had been forecast to rise 08 based on a wall street journal poll of economists retail sales rose a somewhat stronger 06 if auto dealers and gas stations are excluded car and gasoline purchases exaggerate overall retail spending retail sales are a big part of consumer spending and offer clues about the strength of the economy before april’s increase retail sales had fallen in four of the prior five months big picture the increase in retail sales is unlikely to mark the start of an uptrend rising interest rates orchestrated by the federal reserve to tame high inflation have slowed the economy and curbed consumer appetites for bigticket items yet a superstrong labor market and rising incomes probably will keep retail consumer spending aloft barring a recession americans are still spending plenty of money on services such as travel and recreation market reaction the dow jones industrial average djia and sp 500 spx were set to open lower in tuesday trades