Consumers Hold Back as U.S. Retail Sales Moderate: Economy

American consumers kept their buying in check for goods other than automobiles in June, exercising a measure of self-restraint that indicates the economy ended the second quarter on a weak note.

Sales at retailers climbed 0.4 percent last month, short of the 0.8 percent gain that was the median estimate of 82 economists surveyed by Bloomberg, according to Commerce Department figures issued today in Washington. Excluding the biggest gain at auto and parts dealers in seven months, demand was little changed from May.