Retail and food service sales totaled $390.4 billion in July, which was up only 0.5 percent from June, and 8.5 percent from July 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The figures are an indicator of consumer spending and do not include services, which make up about half of consumption.
Gasoline station sales increased 1.6 percent from the previous month and non-store retail sales increased 1 percent.
