WASHINGTON — U.S. consumers spent slightly more at retail stores last month after ramping up their shopping in March to get ahead of tariffs.

Sales at retail stores and restaurants rose just 0.1% in April from March, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That is much lower than the previous month’s 1.7% gain, which reflected a surge in car sales as consumers accelerated purchases ahead of President Donald Trump’s 25% duty on auto imports that went into effect this month.

Last month’s tiny increase after the March surge makes it harder to get a clear read on consumer spending trends and reflects the ongoing turmoil and uncertainty in the economy in the wake of Trump’s stop-and-go tariff policies. Many publicly traded companies have withdrawn or held off on the traditional practice of forecasting their revenues and earnings for the rest of this year because the economic landscape has become so chaotic.

Meanwhile, Americans are increasingly gloomy about the economy’s prospects, according to sentiment surveys.

Yet many economists expect consumers will slow their spending in the coming months, as Trump’s tariffs — including 10% duties on all imports — work their way through the supply chain to products on store shelves.

Thursday’s report “suggests that consumers pulled back after a rush to front-run tariffs,” Lydia Boussour, senior economist at consulting firm EY-Parthenon, said in an email. “Looking ahead, consumers will continue to be more selective and cautious with their spending as inflation reaccelerates and interest rates remain elevated.”

All told, average U.S. tariffs are now roughly 15%, economists estimate, the highest since the 1930s, and likely to push up prices in the coming months. Those price hikes have already begun to appear.

Increased prices began to show up on Walmart shelves in late April and then accelerated this month, but shoppers will feel the biggest impact starting in June and July when the back-to-school shopping season kicks in, said Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey.

In April, sales were flat or down for many retailers, the government said: They plunged 2.5% at sporting goods stores, which saw prices jump last month, according to the government’s inflation report earlier this week. Sales dropped 0.4% at clothing stores, while they ticked down 0.2% at health and personal care stores and slipped 0.1% at auto dealers.

Gas station sales dropped 0.5%, even as prices declined 0.1%. The figures aren’t adjusted for price changes.

Still, there were signs that at least some Americans were willing to spend. Sales at restaurants and bars jumped 1.2% last month, a sign many consumers boosted their discretionary spending.

And sales at home and garden centers jumped 0.8%, the biggest gain since 2022, which suggests Americans are pursuing more home renovations as elevated mortgage rates cooled home sales.