Retail sales little changed on reluctance to splurge

Washington

SALES at US retailers were little changed in April, starting the second quarter on a weak note as Americans remained reluctant to splurge.

The reading followed a revised 1.1 per cent gain in March that was the biggest in a year and larger than previously estimated, Commerce Department figures showed on Wednesday in Washington. The median forecast of 88 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 0.2 per cent gain in April.