BUSINESS MEMO: SPRING SALES DAMPENED

Cool temperatures curbed shoppers' appetite for spring merchandise like shorts and garden supplies in May, dampening sales at many of the nation's biggest retailers.

But analysts also said that the lackluster May figures released Thursday hinted of some slowing in consumer spending, resulting from the Federal Reserve's six interest rate increases over the past year.

The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi retail sales index, which tracks sales at about 80 chains, rose 4.6 percent in May from the same month a year ago, when the index rose 6.8 percent. The index was expected to rise about 5 percent last month.