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Retail sales accelerate in May
ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES
U.S. Economy
The rate of growth in retail and food services total sales accelerated due to increase in clothing stores sales.
U.S. retail sales grew in double digits in May by 17.7 % on the seasonally adjusted basis to $485.5 billion. 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 12.8 %.
Sales at dealers of motor vehicles and parts bounced back from a April decline to advance 44.13 %, a gain that wasn’t too big a surprise considering the monthly vehicle sales report.
Improving rate in retail sales growth 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. Retail sales dropped by -6.2 % from May 2019, mainly because of retreating gasoline stations sales by -32 %.
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| Retail Sales |
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In May, sales increased 188% at clothing and accessories stores, department stores up 36.9%.
Several other areas with sales growth were 50.5% at electronics and appliance stores, building materials dealers grew by 10.9%, health and personal care stores grew by 0.4%.
Meanwhile, sales fell -100% at internet retailers.
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Fuels & Transportation
Sales of essentials have rebounded from decline in previous period, sales grew in double digits by 10.6 % on the seasonally adjusted basis, food services and drinking places sales rose the most, by 29.09 %. Sale of essentials like food and gasoline dropped by -18 % from May 2019.
Ordinarily, rising gas prices take a toll on consumer confidence, but this time it seems that consumers have ignored higher prices at the pump.
Sales excluding motor vehicle and parts grew in double digits sequentially by 12.4 % smaller than retail and food services sales on the seasonally adjusted basis, led by higher sales in furnishings stores, gasoline stations and retail stores. Online shopping sales fell.
Auto sales often register sharp month-to-month swings and can muddy underlying retail trends.
Sales excluding cars dropped by -6.5 % from May 2019.
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Retail Sales by Category
(In millions $)
ADVANCE
MONTHLY SALES
( in millions $) |
May 2020
adv. |
April 2020
adv. |
March 2020
adv. |
Feb. 2020
adv. |
Jan. 2020
adv. |
| Retail & food services
total |
|
485,545 |
412,576 |
483,476 |
529,262 |
530,930 |
| Total excl. motor
vehicle & parts |
|
386,924 |
344,151 |
405,274 |
422,691 |
423,915 |
| Retail |
|
446,918 |
382,654 |
437,561 |
463,196 |
464,818 |
| GAFO |
|
357,519 |
318,083 |
370,779 |
380,050 |
380,020 |
| Motor vehicle & parts dealers |
|
98,621 |
68,425 |
78,202 |
106,571 |
107,015 |
| Auto & other motor veh. dealers |
|
90,216 |
61,705 |
71,056 |
98,726 |
98,940 |
| Furniture & home furnishings
stores |
|
7,722 |
4,071 |
7,994 |
10,025 |
9,992 |
| Electronics & appliance stores |
|
5,679 |
3,774 |
7,168 |
8,095 |
8,161 |
| Appl. TV & camera |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Computer & software stores |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Building mat. &
garden eq. & supplies dealers |
|
36,319 |
32,746 |
33,148 |
33,380 |
33,269 |
| Building mat. & supplies dealers |
|
- |
28,344 |
29,122 |
29,752 |
29,496 |
| Food & beverage stores |
|
72,590 |
71,186 |
81,650 |
65,377 |
65,415 |
| Grocery stores |
|
64,755 |
63,931 |
73,718 |
58,421 |
58,571 |
| Beer, wine & liquor stores |
|
- |
5,569 |
6,065 |
5,137 |
5,107 |
| Health & personal care stores |
|
26,983 |
26,878 |
31,496 |
29,546 |
29,662 |
| Pharmacies & drug stores |
|
- |
24,758 |
27,676 |
24,394 |
24,425 |
| Gasoline stations |
|
29,405 |
26,068 |
34,495 |
42,641 |
43,895 |
| Clothing & clothing accessories
stores |
|
8,116 |
2,818 |
11,209 |
22,389 |
22,679 |
| Men's clothing stores |
|
- |
74 |
282 |
731 |
754 |
| Women's clothing stores |
|
- |
471 |
1,566 |
3,319 |
3,307 |
| Shoe stores |
|
- |
400 |
1,687 |
3,180 |
3,225 |
| Sporting goods, hobby, book &
music |
|
6,936 |
3,686 |
5,517 |
6,496 |
6,526 |
| General merchandise stores |
|
59,530 |
56,180 |
64,159 |
59,946 |
59,987 |
| Department stores ex. LD |
|
8,472 |
6,188 |
8,563 |
10,936 |
10,953 |
| Other general merchandise
stores |
|
- |
49,992 |
55,596 |
49,010 |
49,034 |
| Warehouse clubs & superstores |
|
- |
42,501 |
47,446 |
41,906 |
41,953 |
| All other gen. merchandise
stores |
|
- |
7,491 |
8,150 |
7,104 |
7,081 |
| Miscellaneous store retailers |
|
8,611 |
7,577 |
10,208 |
12,018 |
12,051 |
| Nonstore retailers |
|
- |
73,585 |
65,292 |
59,576 |
59,201 |
| Electronic shopping & mail-order
houses |
|
- |
73,585 |
65,292 |
59,576 |
59,201 |
| Food services & drinking places |
|
38,627 |
29,922 |
45,915 |
66,066 |
66,112 |
ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES
( in % Y / Y) |
May 2020
adv. |
April 2020
adv. |
March 2020
adv. |
Feb. 2020
adv. |
Jan. 2020
adv. |
| Retail & food services
total |
-6.21 % |
-19.97 % |
-6 % |
4.57 % |
4.72 % |
| Total excl. motor
vehicle & parts |
-6.52 % |
-16.56 % |
-0.87 % |
4.67 % |
4.75 % |
| Retail |
-1.5 % |
-15.39 % |
-3.41 % |
3.97 % |
4.05 % |
| GAFO |
-3.56 % |
-13.78 % |
1.38 % |
4.93 % |
4.34 % |
| Motor vehicle & parts dealers
|
-9.77 % |
-37.27 % |
-28.83 % |
-1.98 % |
-2.09 % |
| Auto & other motor veh. dealers
|
-13.04 % |
-40.14 % |
-32.65 % |
-3.47 % |
-3.28 % |
| Furniture & home furnishings
stores |
-21.11 % |
-58.46 % |
-20.36 % |
0.18 % |
1.29 % |
| Electronics & appliance stores
|
-30.29 % |
-53.29 % |
-11.08 % |
1.43 % |
0.77 % |
| Appl. TV & camera |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Computer & software stores
|
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Building mat. &
garden eq. & supplies dealers |
17.18 % |
4.02 % |
0.49 % |
1.25 % |
-3.49 % |
| Building mat. & supplies dealers |
- % |
0.75 % |
0.47 % |
3.23 % |
-0.92 % |
| Food & beverage stores |
12.82 % |
10.8 % |
29.72 % |
5.43 % |
3.38 % |
| Grocery stores |
12.44 % |
11.28 % |
31.48 % |
5.85 % |
3.82 % |
| Beer, wine & liquor stores |
- % |
13.03 % |
23.8 % |
5.57 % |
5.04 % |
| Health & personal care stores |
-9.91 % |
-9.46 % |
6.37 % |
0.2 % |
1.06 % |
| Pharmacies & drug stores |
- % |
0.65 % |
12.81 % |
-0.33 % |
1.31 % |
| Gasoline stations |
-31.99 % |
-40.16 % |
-19.95 % |
2.37 % |
8.46 % |
| Clothing & clothing accessories
stores |
-63.73 % |
-87.43 % |
-51.01 % |
0.36 % |
-0.49 % |
| Men's clothing stores |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Women's clothing stores |
- % |
-86.26 % |
-55.55 % |
-2.98 % |
-4.89 % |
| Shoe stores |
- % |
-87.55 % |
-48.97 % |
-0.41 % |
1.26 % |
| Sporting goods, hobby, book &
music |
6.64 % |
-43.4 % |
-12.25 % |
3.23 % |
3.9 % |
| General merchandise stores
|
-0.6 % |
-5.97 % |
6.61 % |
0.35 % |
0.12 % |
| Department stores ex. LD |
-26.22 %
|
-46.43 %
|
-28.88 %
|
-9.08 %
|
-9.45 %
|
| Other general merchandise
stores |
- % |
3.73 % |
15.49 % |
2.73 % |
2.54 % |
| Warehouse clubs & superstores |
- % |
3.69 % |
16.03 % |
3.09 % |
3.13 % |
| All other gen. merchandise
stores |
- % |
3.91 % |
12.48 % |
0.64 % |
-0.78 % |
| Miscellaneous store retailers
|
-22.62 % |
-31.37 % |
-4.1 % |
14.12 % |
13.27 % |
| Nonstore retailers |
- % |
32.53 % |
20.52 % |
11.11 % |
12.69 % |
| Electronic shopping & mail-order
houses |
- % |
32.53 % |
20.52 % |
11.11 % |
12.69 % |
| Food services & drinking places
|
-39.59 % |
-52.74 % |
-25.11 % |
9.01 % |
9.7 % |
ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES
( in % M / M) |
May 2020
adv. |
April 2020
adv. |
March 2020
adv. |
Feb. 2020
adv. |
Jan. 2020
adv. |
| Retail & food services
total |
17.69 % |
-14.66 % |
-8.65 % |
-0.31 % |
0.49 % |
| Total excl. motor
vehicle & parts |
12.43 % |
-15.08 % |
-4.12 % |
-0.29 % |
0.44 % |
| Retail |
16.79 % |
-12.55 % |
-5.53 % |
-0.35 % |
0.48 % |
| GAFO |
12.4 % |
-14.21 % |
-2.44 % |
0.01 % |
0.62 % |
| Motor vehicle & parts dealers
|
44.13 % |
-12.5 % |
-26.62 % |
-0.41 % |
0.67 % |
| Auto & other motor veh. dealers
|
46.21 % |
-13.16 % |
-28.03 % |
-0.22 % |
0.75 % |
| Furniture & home furnishings
stores |
89.68 % |
-49.07 % |
-20.26 % |
0.33 % |
3.16 % |
| Electronics & appliance stores
|
50.48 % |
-47.35 % |
-11.45 % |
-0.81 % |
0.8 % |
| Appl. TV & camera |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Computer & software stores
|
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| Building mat. &
garden eq. & supplies dealers |
10.91 % |
-1.21 % |
-0.7 % |
0.33 % |
3.5 % |
| Building mat. & supplies dealers |
- % |
-2.67 % |
-2.12 % |
0.87 % |
3.11 % |
| Food & beverage stores |
1.97 % |
-12.82 % |
24.89 % |
-0.06 % |
-0.59 % |
| Grocery stores |
1.29 % |
-13.28 % |
26.18 % |
-0.26 % |
-0.54 % |
| Beer, wine & liquor stores |
- % |
-8.18 % |
18.07 % |
0.59 % |
1.15 % |
| Health & personal care stores |
0.39 % |
-14.66 % |
6.6 % |
-0.39 % |
1.99 % |
| Pharmacies & drug stores |
- % |
-10.54 % |
13.45 % |
-0.13 % |
1.75 % |
| Gasoline stations |
12.8 % |
-24.43 % |
-19.1 % |
-2.86 % |
-1.12 % |
| Clothing & clothing accessories
stores |
188.01 % |
-74.86 % |
-49.94 % |
-1.28 % |
-1.37 % |
| Men's clothing stores |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
- % |
| Women's clothing stores |
- % |
-69.92 % |
-52.82 % |
0.36 % |
-0.15 % |
| Shoe stores |
- % |
-76.29 % |
-46.95 % |
-1.4 % |
-1.04 % |
| Sporting goods, hobby, book &
music |
88.17 % |
-33.19 % |
-15.07 % |
-0.46 % |
2.5 % |
| General merchandise stores
|
5.96 % |
-12.44 % |
7.03 % |
-0.07 % |
0.14 % |
| Department stores ex. LD |
36.91 % |
-27.74 % |
-21.7 % |
-0.16 % |
0.02 % |
| Other general merchandise
stores |
- % |
-10.08 % |
13.44 % |
-0.05 % |
0.16 % |
| Warehouse clubs &
superstores |
- % |
-10.42 % |
13.22 % |
-0.11 % |
0.07 % |
| All other gen. merchandise
stores |
- % |
-8.09 % |
14.72 % |
0.32 % |
0.7 % |
| Miscellaneous store retailers
|
13.65 % |
-25.77 % |
-15.06 % |
-0.27 % |
4.5 % |
| Nonstore retailers |
- % |
12.7 % |
9.59 % |
0.63 % |
0.59 % |
| Electronic shopping & mail-order
houses |
- % |
12.7 % |
9.59 % |
0.63 % |
0.59 % |
| Food services & drinking places
|
29.09 % |
-34.83 % |
-30.5 % |
-0.07 % |
0.52 % |
Source: Department of Commerce
• Census.gov
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