retail sales

December Retail Sales Soar on Autos

December 2016 retail sales increased by 0.6% and are up a whopping 4.1% from a year ago.  November's retail sales were revised to a 0.2% monthly increase.  The reason for December's gain were automobile sales, online sales and gas.  Auto sales blew through the roof at a 2.4% monthly increase and gas did also on rising prices.  Without autos & parts sales, retail sales would have increased only 0.2% for the month.

Retail Sales Show No Growth for July 2016

July 2016 retail sales were a real Wall Street let down as there was no change from June.  Gasoline sales plunged by -2.7%, yet most retailers had declining sales.  Auto sales and Amazon prime day were not enough to salvage overall retail sales.  Without autos & parts sales, retail sales would have dropped by -0.3% for the month.

May Retail Sales Boost PCE Contribution to 2nd Quarter GDP

Seasonally adjusted retail sales rose 0.5% in May after retail sales for March and April were revised slightly higher..  The Advance Retail Sales Report for May (pdf) from the Census Bureau estimated that our seasonally adjusted retail and food services sales totaled $455.6 billion for the month, which was an increase of 0.5 percent (±0.5%)* from April's revised sales of $453.6 billion and 2.5 percent (±0.7%) above the adjusted sales of May of last year.

Retail Sales Rev Their Engines With 1.3% Increase

April 2016 retail sales really popped up as auto sales roared.  Retail sales increased 1.3% for the month and auto dealers sales surged by 3.5%.  Without autos & parts sales, retail sales still had a great showing with a monthly 0.8% gain.  Gasoline station sales have also shot up as prices rose, a 2.2% increase for the month.

February Retail Sales Drop -0.1% On Plunging Gasoline Prices

The February 2016 Retail Sales report shows retail sales decreased -0.1% for the month as gasoline sales plunged by -4.4%.  Without autos & parts sales, retail sales still decreased by -0.1%.  Gasoline sales have dropped -15.6% from a year ago.  Declining gasoline sales are once again responsible for the disappointing figures, as without gas stations considered, retail sales increased by a modest 0.2%.

CPI Flat in November; Real Retail Sales up 0.5% in Boost to Q4 GDP

The consumer price index was flat in November as lower prices for food, energy and core goods offset higher prices for services. The Consumer Price Index Summary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that seasonally adjusted prices were unchanged in November after rising 0.2% in October and falling 0.2% in September.

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