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Retail sales rebounded in March
ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES
U.S. Economy
U.S. retail sales soared again after dipping in the last month, as rising gasoline prices weren’t enough to choke off U.S. consumers’ demand for cars, clothing and other goods, government data showed.
In March U.S. retail sales soared by 9.8 % to $619.1 billion on the seasonally adjusted basis, reported by the Commerce Department. Consumer increased spending for variety of goods including, food, cars, gasoline and general merchandise.
Fueled by growing prices, gasoline stations were expected to have a banner month, and they did: Monthly sales jumped 10.88 %.
Sales at dealers of motor vehicles and parts bounced back from a February decline to advance 15.1 %, a gain that wasn’t too big a surprise considering the monthly vehicle sales report.
Rebound in retail sales is a good news, as the retail sales account for about half of total consumer spending and about a third of final sales in the U.S. economy. From March 2020, retail sales jumped by 28.1 % as motor vehicle and parts dealers sales helped to increase total sales.
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| Fuels & Transportation |
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Sales excluding motor vehicle and parts soared sequentially by 8.4 % to $485 billion smaller than retail and food services sales on the seasonally adjusted basis, electronics and appliance stores, retail stores and clothing stores sales were up. Online shopping sales fell.
Investors and the Federal Reserve usually view the core sales as a better gauge of retail sales because it excludes car sales, which often fluctuate.
From March 2020, core sales jumped by 19.7 %.
Sales of essentials have increased by higher rate than in previous period, sales of groceries and gasoline soared by 7.4 % on the seasonally adjusted basis, food services and drinking places sales rose the most, by 13.39 %. Compare to a year ago sales of essentials jumped by 11.4 %.
Ordinarily, rising gas prices take a toll on consumer confidence, but this time it seems that consumers have ignored higher prices at the pump.
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Retail Sales
In March, sales increased 18.3% at clothing and accessories stores, department stores up 13%.
Several other areas with sales growth were 10.5% at electronics and appliance stores, building materials dealers grew by 12.1%, health and personal care stores grew by 5.7%.
Meanwhile, sales fell -100% at internet retailers.
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Retail Sales by Category
(In millions $)
ADVANCE
MONTHLY SALES
( in millions $) |
March 2021
adv. |
Feb. 2021
adv. |
Jan. 2021
adv. |
Dec. 2020
adv. |
Nov. 2020
adv. |
| Retail & food services
total |
|
619,105 |
563,733 |
579,123 |
539,670 |
544,641 |
| Total excl. motor
vehicle & parts |
|
484,977 |
447,203 |
458,333 |
424,453 |
431,556 |
| Retail |
|
556,935 |
508,904 |
523,540 |
488,579 |
491,081 |
| GAFO |
|
438,576 |
405,355 |
418,010 |
386,727 |
396,111 |
| Motor vehicle & parts dealers |
|
134,128 |
116,530 |
120,790 |
115,217 |
113,085 |
| Auto & other motor veh. dealers |
|
124,886 |
108,095 |
112,201 |
106,928 |
104,841 |
| Furniture & home furnishings
stores |
|
11,629 |
10,985 |
11,446 |
10,135 |
10,169 |
| Electronics & appliance stores |
|
8,505 |
7,694 |
7,912 |
6,803 |
7,080 |
| Appl. TV & camera |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Computer & software stores |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Building mat. &
garden eq. & supplies dealers |
|
43,940 |
39,189 |
40,062 |
38,276 |
38,067 |
| Building mat. & supplies dealers |
|
- |
33,825 |
34,842 |
33,432 |
33,316 |
| Food & beverage stores |
|
71,969 |
71,473 |
71,887 |
70,322 |
71,306 |
| Grocery stores |
|
63,522 |
63,215 |
63,637 |
62,510 |
63,288 |
| Beer, wine & liquor stores |
|
- |
6,216 |
6,208 |
5,846 |
6,016 |
| Health & personal care stores |
|
33,333 |
31,528 |
32,204 |
31,473 |
31,160 |
| Pharmacies & drug stores |
|
- |
26,445 |
- |
26,700 |
26,394 |
| Gasoline stations |
|
46,401 |
41,848 |
40,323 |
37,726 |
35,445 |
| Clothing & clothing accessories
stores |
|
22,862 |
19,333 |
20,185 |
19,057 |
18,578 |
| Men's clothing stores |
|
- |
390 |
386 |
- |
- |
| Women's clothing stores |
|
- |
2,719 |
2,833 |
2,587 |
2,510 |
| Shoe stores |
|
- |
2,284 |
2,808 |
2,527 |
2,371 |
| Sporting goods, hobby, book &
music |
|
9,591 |
7,767 |
8,319 |
7,558 |
7,687 |
| General merchandise stores |
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68,053 |
62,406 |
66,096 |
60,209 |
61,200 |
| Department stores ex. LD |
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10,811 |
9,565 |
10,277 |
8,670 |
9,000 |
| Other general merchandise
stores |
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- |
52,841 |
55,819 |
51,539 |
52,200 |
| Warehouse clubs & superstores |
|
- |
45,393 |
47,743 |
44,209 |
44,531 |
| All other gen. merchandise
stores |
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- |
7,448 |
8,076 |
7,330 |
7,669 |
| Miscellaneous store retailers |
|
13,414 |
12,301 |
12,636 |
12,588 |
11,818 |
| Nonstore retailers |
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- |
79,711 |
83,819 |
71,946 |
78,102 |
| Electronic shopping & mail-order
houses |
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- |
79,711 |
83,819 |
71,946 |
78,102 |
| Food services & drinking places |
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62,170 |
54,829 |
55,583 |
51,091 |
53,560 |
ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES
( in % Y / Y) |
March 2021
adv. |
Feb. 2021
adv. |
Jan. 2021
adv. |
Dec. 2020
adv. |
Nov. 2020
adv. |
| Retail & food services
total |
28.05 % |
6.51 % |
9.08 % |
2.14 % |
3.18 % |
| Total excl. motor
vehicle & parts |
19.67 % |
5.8 % |
8.12 % |
0.57 % |
2.79 % |
| Retail |
27.28 % |
9.87 % |
12.63 % |
5.62 % |
6.09 % |
| GAFO |
18.29 % |
6.66 % |
10 % |
2.4 % |
5.35 % |
| Motor vehicle & parts dealers
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71.51 % |
9.34 % |
12.87 % |
8.38 % |
4.02 % |
| Auto & other motor veh. dealers
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75.76 % |
9.49 % |
13.4 % |
8.89 % |
-2.94 % |
| Furniture & home furnishings
stores |
45.47 % |
9.58 % |
14.55 % |
4.64 % |
3.02 % |
| Electronics & appliance stores
|
18.65 % |
-4.95 % |
-3.05 % |
-15.97 % |
-12.4 % |
| Appl. TV & camera |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Computer & software stores
|
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Building mat. &
garden eq. & supplies dealers |
32.56 % |
17.4 % |
20.42 % |
19.08 % |
20.25 % |
| Building mat. & supplies dealers |
- % |
13.69 % |
18.12 % |
16.87 % |
18.56 % |
| Food & beverage stores |
-11.86 % |
9.32 % |
9.89 % |
6.87 % |
8.97 % |
| Grocery stores |
-13.83 % |
8.21 % |
8.65 % |
6.15 % |
8.14 % |
| Beer, wine & liquor stores |
- % |
21 % |
21.56 % |
15.79 % |
19.79 % |
| Health & personal care stores |
5.83 % |
6.71 % |
8.57 % |
8.22 % |
6.16 % |
| Pharmacies & drug stores |
- % |
8.41 % |
- % |
11.22 % |
9.47 % |
| Gasoline stations |
34.52 % |
-1.86 % |
-8.14 % |
-15.02 % |
-19.14 % |
| Clothing & clothing accessories
stores |
103.96 % |
-13.65 % |
-11 % |
-17.12 % |
-16.64 % |
| Men's clothing stores |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Women's clothing stores |
- % |
-18.08 % |
-14.33 % |
-21.89 % |
-24.21 % |
| Shoe stores |
- % |
-28.18 % |
-12.93 % |
-22.46 % |
-24.59 % |
| Sporting goods, hobby, book &
music |
73.84 % |
19.57 % |
27.47 % |
18.71 % |
21.17 % |
| General merchandise stores
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6.07 % |
4.1 % |
10.18 % |
0.51 % |
2.62 % |
| Department stores ex. LD |
26.25 %
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-12.54 %
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-6.17 %
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-20.83 %
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-18.32 %
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| Other general merchandise
stores |
- % |
7.82 % |
13.84 % |
5.28 % |
7.36 % |
| Warehouse clubs & superstores |
- % |
8.32 % |
13.8 % |
5.45 % |
7.37 % |
| All other gen. merchandise
stores |
- % |
4.84 % |
14.05 % |
4.24 % |
7.32 % |
| Miscellaneous store retailers
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31.41 % |
2.35 % |
4.85 % |
9.16 % |
0.72 % |
| Nonstore retailers |
- % |
33.8 % |
41.58 % |
22.25 % |
32.22 % |
| Electronic shopping & mail-order
houses |
- % |
33.8 % |
41.58 % |
22.25 % |
32.22 % |
| Food services & drinking places
|
35.4 % |
-17.01 % |
-15.93 % |
-22.32 % |
-17.55 % |
ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES
( in % M / M) |
March 2021
adv. |
Feb. 2021
adv. |
Jan. 2021
adv. |
Dec. 2020
adv. |
Nov. 2020
adv. |
| Retail & food services
total |
9.82 % |
-2.66 % |
7.31 % |
-0.91 % |
-1.42 % |
| Total excl. motor
vehicle & parts |
8.45 % |
-2.43 % |
7.98 % |
-1.65 % |
-1.41 % |
| Retail |
9.44 % |
-2.8 % |
7.16 % |
-0.51 % |
-1.2 % |
| GAFO |
8.2 % |
-3.03 % |
8.09 % |
-2.37 % |
-1.41 % |
| Motor vehicle & parts dealers
|
15.1 % |
-3.53 % |
4.84 % |
1.89 % |
-1.44 % |
| Auto & other motor veh. dealers
|
15.53 % |
-3.66 % |
4.93 % |
1.99 % |
-1.53 % |
| Furniture & home furnishings
stores |
5.86 % |
-4.03 % |
12.94 % |
-0.33 % |
-2.45 % |
| Electronics & appliance stores
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10.54 % |
-2.76 % |
16.3 % |
-3.91 % |
-7.85 % |
| Appl. TV & camera |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Computer & software stores
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| Building mat. &
garden eq. & supplies dealers |
12.12 % |
-2.18 % |
4.67 % |
0.55 % |
0.59 % |
| Building mat. & supplies dealers |
- % |
-2.92 % |
4.22 % |
0.35 % |
0.75 % |
| Food & beverage stores |
0.69 % |
-0.58 % |
2.23 % |
-1.38 % |
1.46 % |
| Grocery stores |
0.49 % |
-0.66 % |
1.8 % |
-1.23 % |
1.62 % |
| Beer, wine & liquor stores |
- % |
0.13 % |
6.19 % |
-2.83 % |
1.02 % |
| Health & personal care stores |
5.73 % |
-2.1 % |
2.32 % |
1 % |
-0.04 % |
| Pharmacies & drug stores |
- % |
- % |
- % |
1.16 % |
-0.25 % |
| Gasoline stations |
10.88 % |
3.78 % |
6.88 % |
6.44 % |
-1.47 % |
| Clothing & clothing accessories
stores |
18.25 % |
-4.22 % |
5.92 % |
2.58 % |
-6.34 % |
| Men's clothing stores |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Women's clothing stores |
- % |
-4.02 % |
9.51 % |
3.07 % |
-4.96 % |
| Shoe stores |
- % |
-18.66 % |
11.12 % |
6.58 % |
-10.33 % |
| Sporting goods, hobby, book &
music |
23.48 % |
-6.64 % |
10.07 % |
-1.68 % |
-1.84 % |
| General merchandise stores
|
9.05 % |
-5.58 % |
9.78 % |
-1.62 % |
-1.58 % |
| Department stores ex. LD |
13.03 % |
-6.93 % |
18.54 % |
-3.67 % |
-7.61 % |
| Other general merchandise
stores |
- % |
-5.34 % |
8.3 % |
-1.27 % |
-0.46 % |
| Warehouse clubs &
superstores |
- % |
-4.92 % |
7.99 % |
-0.72 % |
-0.16 % |
| All other gen. merchandise
stores |
- % |
-7.78 % |
10.18 % |
-4.42 % |
-2.13 % |
| Miscellaneous store retailers
|
9.05 % |
-2.65 % |
0.38 % |
6.52 % |
0.14 % |
| Nonstore retailers |
- % |
-4.9 % |
16.5 % |
-7.88 % |
-1.31 % |
| Electronic shopping & mail-order
houses |
- % |
-4.9 % |
16.5 % |
-7.88 % |
-1.31 % |
| Food services & drinking places
|
13.39 % |
-1.36 % |
8.79 % |
-4.61 % |
-3.35 % |
Source: Department of Commerce
• Census.gov
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