US retail sales figures soared last month as Americans went on a shopping spree.
Sales rose 17.7% month-by-month in May, the best rate since records began in 1992 and well above the 8% forecast by analysts. Sales of clothing almost tripled while book sales nearly doubled.
Sales had slumped by a revised 14.7% in April, a record fall.
The total volume of sales remains well below pre-Covid levels, with $485.5bn spent in may compared with $5.27.3bn in February.
