Retail sales growth cooled to 0.5% in April, reaching $757.1 billion total sales, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. The slowdown comes after March's 1.6% growth rate and suggests consumer spending may be losing momentum despite remaining in line with analysts' expectations for the month.

The cooling retail performance reflects moderating gasoline price increases as the Iran conflict continued. March's rapid sales growth was partly fueled by higher gas prices, but April saw slower price increases at the pump. Beyond fuel, broader spending patterns showed clear signs of softening in key retail categories across the economy.

Among specific retail segments, furniture stores contracted by 2% following March's 2.6% increase, while health and personal-care stores saw flat sales after rising 1.1% the previous month. These sector-specific declines indicate potential weakness in discretionary spending beyond the gasoline factor that may concern retailers looking to accelerate growth.