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Retail sales growth continues to slow in August
ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES
U.S. Economy
The growth in retail and food services sales, continues to slow, after the slowdown in July, as as the americans shop less over the internet, soften total sales.
Retail sales including food services grew in August by 0.6 % on the seasonally adjusted basis to $537.5 billion, reported by the Commerce Department. Growth in retail sales was driven by higher consumer spending for essentials, like food and gasoline.
Soft sales are generally unwelcomed news for investors, as retail sales account for about half of total consumer spending and about a third of final sales in the U.S. economy.
Higher retail spending, in turn, has spurred companies to boost their inventories in anticipation of rising sales. U.S. retail and food services sales increased by 2 % from Aug. 2019, meanwhile sales excluding volatile motor vehicle and parts sales, increased less than overall retail sales, over the last 12 months.
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| Fuels & Transportation |
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Excluding the volatile auto sector sales increased sequentially by 0.7 %, but decelerated on the seasonally adjusted basis, sales grew in electronics and appliance, furniture and home furnishings stores. Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores 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.
Sales excluding cars increased by 1.7 % from Aug. 2019.
Sales of essentials have increased by smaller rate than a month ago, sales rose by 1.1 % on the seasonally adjusted basis, food services and drinking places sales grew above averge, although sales in food and beverage stores declined. Sale of essentials like food and gasoline dropped by -7.2 % from Aug. 2019.
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Retail Sales
In August, sales increased 2.9% at clothing and accessories stores, health and personal care stores grew by 0.8%.
Several other areas with sales growth were 0.8% at electronics and appliance stores, building materials dealers grew by 2%.
Meanwhile, sales decreased -100% at internet retailers, department stores fell -2.3%.
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Retail Sales by Category
(In millions $)
ADVANCE
MONTHLY SALES
( in millions $) |
Aug. 2020
adv. |
July 2020
adv. |
June 2020
adv. |
May 2020
adv. |
April 2020
adv. |
| Retail & food services
total |
|
537,526 |
534,558 |
529,396 |
487,708 |
412,576 |
| Total excl. motor
vehicle & parts |
|
427,694 |
424,894 |
418,653 |
385,871 |
344,151 |
| Retail |
|
482,882 |
482,372 |
479,451 |
448,201 |
382,654 |
| GAFO |
|
392,510 |
389,848 |
385,137 |
356,711 |
318,083 |
| Motor vehicle & parts dealers |
|
109,832 |
109,664 |
110,743 |
101,837 |
68,425 |
| Auto & other motor veh. dealers |
|
101,058 |
101,069 |
101,997 |
93,580 |
61,705 |
| Furniture & home furnishings
stores |
|
10,233 |
10,022 |
9,817 |
7,224 |
4,071 |
| Electronics & appliance stores |
|
7,897 |
7,831 |
6,446 |
5,129 |
3,774 |
| Appl. TV & camera |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Computer & software stores |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Building mat. &
garden eq. & supplies dealers |
|
37,259 |
36,526 |
37,295 |
36,826 |
32,746 |
| Building mat. & supplies dealers |
|
- |
31,861 |
32,537 |
32,282 |
28,344 |
| Food & beverage stores |
|
71,046 |
71,896 |
71,582 |
72,663 |
71,186 |
| Grocery stores |
|
62,905 |
63,916 |
63,551 |
64,656 |
63,931 |
| Beer, wine & liquor stores |
|
- |
5,995 |
6,033 |
6,072 |
5,569 |
| Health & personal care stores |
|
31,380 |
31,129 |
29,696 |
27,360 |
26,878 |
| Pharmacies & drug stores |
|
- |
26,573 |
26,158 |
24,545 |
24,758 |
| Gasoline stations |
|
35,184 |
35,046 |
33,516 |
29,160 |
26,068 |
| Clothing & clothing accessories
stores |
|
17,733 |
17,234 |
16,777 |
8,336 |
2,818 |
| Men's clothing stores |
|
- |
395 |
251 |
125 |
74 |
| Women's clothing stores |
|
- |
2,499 |
2,178 |
1,042 |
471 |
| Shoe stores |
|
- |
2,365 |
2,642 |
1,424 |
400 |
| Sporting goods, hobby, book &
music |
|
7,429 |
7,881 |
8,310 |
6,526 |
3,686 |
| General merchandise stores |
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60,344 |
60,600 |
60,767 |
59,458 |
56,180 |
| Department stores ex. LD |
|
9,402 |
9,627 |
9,894 |
8,416 |
6,188 |
| Other general merchandise
stores |
|
- |
50,973 |
50,873 |
51,042 |
49,992 |
| Warehouse clubs & superstores |
|
- |
43,143 |
42,817 |
42,946 |
42,501 |
| All other gen. merchandise
stores |
|
- |
7,830 |
8,056 |
8,096 |
7,491 |
| Miscellaneous store retailers |
|
11,405 |
11,426 |
11,060 |
8,837 |
7,577 |
| Nonstore retailers |
|
- |
75,712 |
76,928 |
78,974 |
73,585 |
| Electronic shopping & mail-order
houses |
|
- |
75,712 |
76,928 |
78,974 |
73,585 |
| Food services & drinking places |
|
54,644 |
52,186 |
49,945 |
39,507 |
29,922 |
ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES
( in % Y / Y) |
Aug. 2020
adv. |
July 2020
adv. |
June 2020
adv. |
May 2020
adv. |
April 2020
adv. |
| Retail & food services
total |
2.02 % |
1.98 % |
1.8 % |
-5.79 % |
-19.97 % |
| Total excl. motor
vehicle & parts |
1.69 % |
1.21 % |
0.67 % |
-6.78 % |
-16.56 % |
| Retail |
4.55 % |
5.02 % |
5.25 % |
-1.22 % |
-15.39 % |
| GAFO |
3.83 % |
3.45 % |
3.12 % |
-3.77 % |
-13.78 % |
| Motor vehicle & parts dealers
|
0.25 % |
-0.11 % |
1.56 % |
-6.83 % |
-37.27 % |
| Auto & other motor veh. dealers
|
-4.93 % |
-3.13 % |
-2.11 % |
-9.8 % |
-40.14 % |
| Furniture & home furnishings
stores |
4.54 % |
2.74 % |
0.65 % |
-26.2 % |
-58.46 % |
| Electronics & appliance stores
|
-3.54 % |
-4.48 % |
-20.68 % |
-37.04 % |
-53.29 % |
| Appl. TV & camera |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Computer & software stores
|
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Building mat. &
garden eq. & supplies dealers |
15.94 % |
16.07 % |
19.72 % |
18.82 % |
4.02 % |
| Building mat. & supplies dealers |
- % |
14.01 % |
17.13 % |
15.85 % |
0.75 % |
| Food & beverage stores |
8.12 % |
9.15 % |
10.18 % |
12.94 % |
10.8 % |
| Grocery stores |
6.94 % |
8.38 % |
9.32 % |
12.27 % |
11.28 % |
| Beer, wine & liquor stores |
- % |
19.66 % |
21.24 % |
23.34 % |
13.03 % |
| Health & personal care stores |
5.87 % |
4.47 % |
-0.43 % |
-8.65 % |
-9.46 % |
| Pharmacies & drug stores |
- % |
8.02 % |
6.49 % |
-0.89 % |
0.65 % |
| Gasoline stations |
-17.32 % |
-18.45 % |
-20.92 % |
-32.55 % |
-40.16 % |
| Clothing & clothing accessories
stores |
-21.28 % |
-24.16 % |
-25.19 % |
-62.75 % |
-87.43 % |
| Men's clothing stores |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Women's clothing stores |
- % |
-27.19 % |
-36.41 % |
-69.97 % |
-86.26 % |
| Shoe stores |
- % |
-28.16 % |
-18.23 % |
-55.3 % |
-87.55 % |
| Sporting goods, hobby, book &
music |
14.38 % |
20.89 % |
25.99 % |
0.34 % |
-43.4 % |
| General merchandise stores
|
0.77 % |
1.13 % |
2.16 % |
-0.72 % |
-5.97 % |
| Department stores ex. LD |
-16.84 %
|
-15.84 %
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-12.72 %
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-26.71 %
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-46.43 %
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| Other general merchandise
stores |
- % |
5.13 % |
5.66 % |
5.45 % |
3.73 % |
| Warehouse clubs & superstores |
- % |
4.36 % |
4.49 % |
4.27 % |
3.69 % |
| All other gen. merchandise
stores |
- % |
9.6 % |
12.37 % |
12.21 % |
3.91 % |
| Miscellaneous store retailers
|
-1.72 % |
1.57 % |
-1.79 % |
-20.59 % |
-31.37 % |
| Nonstore retailers |
- % |
28.44 % |
32.89 % |
39.68 % |
32.53 % |
| Electronic shopping & mail-order
houses |
- % |
28.44 % |
32.89 % |
39.68 % |
32.53 % |
| Food services & drinking places
|
-15.95 % |
-19.55 % |
-22.58 % |
-38.22 % |
-52.74 % |
ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES
( in % M / M) |
Aug. 2020
adv. |
July 2020
adv. |
June 2020
adv. |
May 2020
adv. |
April 2020
adv. |
| Retail & food services
total |
0.56 % |
0.98 % |
8.55 % |
18.21 % |
-14.66 % |
| Total excl. motor
vehicle & parts |
0.66 % |
1.49 % |
8.5 % |
12.12 % |
-15.08 % |
| Retail |
0.11 % |
0.61 % |
6.97 % |
17.13 % |
-12.55 % |
| GAFO |
0.68 % |
1.22 % |
7.97 % |
12.14 % |
-14.21 % |
| Motor vehicle & parts dealers
|
0.15 % |
-0.97 % |
8.75 % |
48.83 % |
-12.5 % |
| Auto & other motor veh. dealers
|
-0.01 % |
-0.91 % |
8.99 % |
51.66 % |
-13.16 % |
| Furniture & home furnishings
stores |
2.11 % |
2.09 % |
35.89 % |
77.45 % |
-49.07 % |
| Electronics & appliance stores
|
0.84 % |
21.49 % |
25.68 % |
35.9 % |
-47.35 % |
| Appl. TV & camera |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Computer & software stores
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| Building mat. &
garden eq. & supplies dealers |
2.01 % |
-2.06 % |
1.27 % |
12.46 % |
-1.21 % |
| Building mat. & supplies dealers |
- % |
-2.08 % |
0.79 % |
13.89 % |
-2.67 % |
| Food & beverage stores |
-1.18 % |
0.44 % |
-1.49 % |
2.07 % |
-12.82 % |
| Grocery stores |
-1.58 % |
0.57 % |
-1.71 % |
1.13 % |
-13.28 % |
| Beer, wine & liquor stores |
- % |
-0.63 % |
-0.64 % |
9.03 % |
-8.18 % |
| Health & personal care stores |
0.81 % |
4.83 % |
8.54 % |
1.79 % |
-14.66 % |
| Pharmacies & drug stores |
- % |
1.59 % |
6.57 % |
-0.86 % |
-10.54 % |
| Gasoline stations |
0.39 % |
4.56 % |
14.94 % |
11.86 % |
-24.43 % |
| Clothing & clothing accessories
stores |
2.9 % |
2.72 % |
101.26 % |
195.81 % |
-74.86 % |
| Men's clothing stores |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Women's clothing stores |
- % |
14.74 % |
109.02 % |
121.23 % |
-69.92 % |
| Shoe stores |
- % |
-10.48 % |
85.53 % |
256 % |
-76.29 % |
| Sporting goods, hobby, book &
music |
-5.74 % |
-5.16 % |
27.34 % |
77.05 % |
-33.19 % |
| General merchandise stores
|
-0.42 % |
-0.27 % |
2.2 % |
5.83 % |
-12.44 % |
| Department stores ex. LD |
-2.34 % |
-2.7 % |
17.56 % |
36.01 % |
-27.74 % |
| Other general merchandise
stores |
- % |
0.2 % |
-0.33 % |
2.1 % |
-10.08 % |
| Warehouse clubs &
superstores |
- % |
0.76 % |
-0.3 % |
1.05 % |
-10.42 % |
| All other gen. merchandise
stores |
- % |
-2.81 % |
-0.49 % |
8.08 % |
-8.09 % |
| Miscellaneous store retailers
|
-0.18 % |
3.31 % |
25.16 % |
16.63 % |
-25.77 % |
| Nonstore retailers |
- % |
-1.58 % |
-2.59 % |
7.32 % |
12.7 % |
| Electronic shopping & mail-order
houses |
- % |
-1.58 % |
-2.59 % |
7.32 % |
12.7 % |
| Food services & drinking places
|
4.71 % |
4.49 % |
26.42 % |
32.03 % |
-34.83 % |
Source: Department of Commerce
• Census.gov
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