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October 16, 2020US RETAIL SALES, SEPTEMBER 2020 The US Census Bureau announced today that the advance estimates of U.S retail and food service sales for September 2020, registered a seasonally adjusted, month-over-month 1.9 per cent increase ($10.3 billion) over August 2020 to $549.3 billion. Food service and drinking place month-over-month receipts increased 2.1 per cent to $55.6 billion.
Seasonally adjusted retail trade and food services increased 5.4 per cent over September 2019. Retail trade increased 8.2 per cent and food services and drinking places sales decreased 14.4 per cent compared to the same month a year ago.
Compared to February 2020, retail trade and food service sales were up 4.2 per cent in September. Retail trade was 6.9 per cent higher in September versus February, while food services and drinking places sales were down 14.9 per cent.
Excluding food services and drinking places, retail trade sales for Jan-Sep 2020 were up 1.7 per cent over the same period in 2019. Food service and drinking places receipts were down 19.8 per cent compared to the first three quarters of 2019.
SECTOR ANALYSIS
Year-over-Year (September 2020 vs September 2019)
In percentage terms, sales were up in 9 of 13 retail and food service categories. The fastest gain was seen in non-store retailers (23.8%) and the largest decline in food services and drinking places (-14.4%).
Retail Trade increased 8.2% ($37.3 billion) to $494 billion.
- Motor vehicle sector, 20.9% of total retail trade & food services, increased 10.9% ($11.3 billion).
- Furniture stores, 1.9% of total retail trade & food services, increased 4.6% ($0.5 billion).
- Electronics stores, 1.4% of total retail trade & food services, decreased 6.4% ($0.5 billion).
- Building materials, 6.9% of total retail trade & food services, increased 19.1% ($6.1 billion).
- Food and beverage stores, 12.9% of total retail trade & food services, increased 10.5% ($6.7 billion).
- Heath, personal care stores, 5.7% of total retail trade & food services, increased 5.3% ($1.6 billion).
- Gasoline Stations, 6.5% of total retail trade & food services, decreased 13.3% ($5.5 billion).
- Clothing stores, 3.5% of total retail trade & food services, decreased 12.5% ($2.8 billion).
- Sports and hobby stores, 1.4% of total retail trade & food services, increased 14.4% ($1.0 billion).
- General merchandise stores, 11.3% of total retail trade & food services, increased 4.3% ($2.6 billion).
- Miscellaneous retail 2.2% of total retail trade & food services, increased 3.6% ($0.4 billion).
- Non-store retailers,15.3% of total retail trade & food services, increased 23.8% ($16.1 billion).
Food services, drinking places, 10.1% of total retail trade & food services, decreased 14.4% ($9.4 billion).
Source: US Census Bureau, Data Tables
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