June was a strong month for U.S. retail.
Sales were up 5.9 percent last month compared with June 2013, according to data released Thursday by the International Council of Shopping Centers.
After a sluggish winter, sales nationwide were “healthy and strong” during June, with strong spending on essential items and weaker spending on non-essential items like clothing, said Michael Niemira, research consultant for the council.
The pace of sales during the second quarter – 5.6 percent – more than doubled the sales pace of the first quarter, according to the council’s Chain Stores Sales Trends, a monthly report on the U.S. retail industry.