US retail sales stronger than expected in April

US consumers came back to stores in April, spending more than expected to reverse a worrisome stall in the first quarter of the year, Commerce Department data showed Friday. Retail sales, including food services, jumped 1.3 percent from March, to $453.4 billion, and were up 3.0 percent from a year ago. Auto sales, up 3.2 percent, carried the weight in April after a downturn the previous month.