During parts of June, fuel prices in the US were very high in the wake of the Iran war, which may explain the decline in that sector.
When fuel and car sales are excluded from the statistics, retail sales rose 0.4 percent.
Of the 13 retail categories included in the statistics, seven rose.
Sales at retailers without physical stores rose 1.9 percent, the biggest increase in almost a year. This was likely driven by e-commerce giant Amazon's Prime Day promotion.
Increases were also noted in sports and hobby stores, as well as electronics and white goods stores.
