Economists believe store and restaurant reopenings pushed up U.S. retail spending for the second month in a row

June store and restaurant reopenings likely pushed up U.S. retail sales for the second month in a row, though a recent surge in coronavirus cases could damp consumer spending as some states reinstate restrictions to combat the pandemic.
Commerce Department data to be released Thursday are expected to show a strong pickup in salesup 5.2% from the prior month, according to a Wall Street Journal survey of economistsafter a record 18% gain in May. The Labor Department is separately set to release the latest weekly tally of new…