Retail Sales

Commerce reported that February retail sales—at $561.7 billion—fell 3.0%, from January to February, with a 6.0% annual increase. NRF's data pointed to pointed to a 3.4% seasonally-adjusted decrease, from January, and a 7.1% unadjusted annual gain.

Looking at 2021, NRF said it is pegging retail sales to be up between 6.5% and 8.2%, which would represent a tally topping more than $4.33 trillion, with NRF saying that these figures come with the prospects of economic improvement spurred on by people receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, coupled with the continuing re-opening of the economy.

Commerce reported that January retail sales—at $568.2 billion—were up 5.3% compared to December and were up 7.4% annually, and NRF reported that its calculation of January retail sales, which excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants, pointed to a 5.9% gain, for the month, on a seasonally-adjusted basis compared to December and were up 10.7% annually on an unadjusted basis.

The National Retail Federation expects a 3.6%-to-5.2% annual gain overall, but non-store, ecommerce sales expected to see a 20%-to-30% increase versus 2019 holiday season

Commerce reported that total October retail sales—at $553.3 billion—were up 0.3% over September and were up 5.7% annually. And NRF’s retail sales data, which excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants, pointed to October retail sales being up 0.2% on a seasonally-adjusted basis compared to September, with a 10.6% unadjusted annual gain.

Commerce reported that total September retail sales—at $549.3 billion—were up 1.9% over August and were up 5.4% annually. And NRF pointed to September retail sales, which were paced by apparel, continuing a V-shaped recovery from the pandemic, with sales growing for the fourth consecutive month.

Commerce reported that total August retail sales eked out a 0.6% increase over July and were up 2.6% annually. Non-store retail, which includes e-commerce, saw a 22.4% annual gain.

April retail sales data, which was issued today by the United States Department of Commerce set records, but not in a good way, as they continued to feel the economic pain of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic.

Commerce reported that March retail sales—at $483.1 billion—were down 8.7% compared to February, which represents the single largest annual monthly retail sales decline going back to when this data was first tracked by Commerce in 1992.

ebruary U.S. retail sales are mixed, reports Department of Commerce

Commerce reported that January retail sales—at $529.8 billion—were 0.2% ahead of December’s revised $528.4 billion and were up 0.3% annually. NRF reported that January retail sales rose 0.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis over December and were up 2.7% unadjusted on an annual basis.

Commerce reported that September retail sales, at $525.6 billion, were off 0.3% compared to August will rising 4.1% compared to September 2018. NRF reported that September retail sales were off 0.1%, from August to September, on a seasonally adjusted basis and up 4.5% on an unadjusted basis annually.