US consumer spending scores biggest jump in 6 years

"American shoppers came racing back to the malls, auto shops and online stores in April," said Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.

Spending on nondurable goods, such as clothing and food, expanded a solid 1.4 percent, while spending on services such as rent payments and utility bills increased 0.6 percent.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, rose 1.6 percent.