US: Retail sales for July 2017 were $478.9 billion, an increase of 0.6% from June

"Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for July 2017, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $478.9 billion, an increase of 0.6 percent from the previous month, and 4.2 percent above July 2016," the U.S. Census Bureau announced on Tuesday.

Key takeaways:

• Total sales for the May 2017 through July 2017 period were up 3.9 percent from the same period a year ago.
• The May 2017 to June 2017 percent change was revised from down 0.2 percent to up 0.3 percent
• Retail trade sales were up 0.6 percent from June 2017, and up 4.3 percent from last year
• Nonstore Retailers were up 11.5 percent from July 2016, while Building Materials and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers were up 8.3 percent from last year