A private research group said Tuesday that consumer confidence rose unexpectedly in May, despite rising gasoline prices that stirred fears about inflation among shoppers. The New York based Conference Board said its Consumer Confidence index rose to 108.0 in May, up from a revised 106.3 in April. The May reading was the highest since March. The Present Situation Index, which measures how consumers feel now about economic conditions, rose to 136.1 from 133.5 in April. The Expectations Index, which measure shopper's outlook for the next six month, rose slightly to 89.2 from 88.2 in April. Analysts had been expecting consumer confidence to fall, with predictions that the Conference Board index would go down in May to 104.5. “The bounce back in confidence was due primarily to a more upbeat assessment of present day business conditions,” said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board Research Center. “Consumers' view of the job market, both present and six months from now, was little changed and did not provide a boost in confidence. The short term outlook remains cautious and rising gasoline prices are having a negative impact on consumers' inflation expectations.” The report is good news for the nation's retailers, who struggled through the worst same-store sales performance on record in April. Same-store sales are sales at stores opened at least a year and are considered an important indicator for retailer's economic well being.