According to the Commerce Department, US retail sales contracted by 0.9% in May, exacerbating April's 0.1% dip, a downturn imputed to a precipitous drop in automotive sales subsequent to a March spike fueled by consumers preempting President Trump's proposed 25% tariff on imported vehicles and components; notwithstanding waning consumer sentiment, consistent inflationary pressure and a robust employment rate may sustain temperate expenditure levels in the near term, as evidenced by a 0.4% rise in sales ex-gasoline, automobiles, and dining establishments, intimating continued, albeit selective, discretionary purchasing, with e-commerce platforms, apparel vendors, and furniture outlets registering gains amidst widespread sectorial retrenchment, the overarching deceleration in retail activity being widely ascribed to apprehensions regarding tariff-induced price escalation.