US Retail Sales Rise the Most in 7 Months

Retail sales in the US jumped 0.6% month-over-month in February 2026, rebounding from a 0.1% drop in January and above forecasts of a 0.5% gain. It is the strongest performance in seven months, with sales rising the most at department stores (3%), health and personal care stores (2.3%), clothing (2%), sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, & book stores (1.3%), motor vehicle and part dealers (1.2%) and miscellaneous store retailers (1.1%). Other increases were also seen in gasoline stations (0.9%), nonstore retailers (0.7%), electronics and appliances (0.5%) and building material and garden equipment (0.4%). On the other hand, retail sales were lower at food and beverages (-1%) and furniture (-1%) stores. Meanwhile, sales excluding food services, auto dealers, building materials stores and gasoline stations, which are used to calculate GDP, were up 0.5%, higher than forecasts of 0.3%.

US retail sales inched lower by 0.2% from the previous month in January of 2026, pulling back from a stall in the last month of 2025 and loosely in line with market expectations of a 0.3% drop. It was the first decline since October. Retail volumes contracted sharply for motor vehicle and parts dealers (-0.9%), gasoline stations (-2.9%), electronics and appliances stores (-0.6%), and clothing and accessories (-1.7%). Still, sales rose for furniture (0.7%), building materials and garden equipment (0.6%), miscellaneous stores (2%), and non-store retailers (1.9%). These were enough to lift the control group of retail sales by 0.3%, likely having a positive impact in the US GDP. From the previous year, retail sales rose by 3.2% in January.

US retail sales unexpectedly stalled in December 2025, following a 0.6% increase in November and falling short of forecasts for a 0.4% gain. Gains in sales at building material and garden equipment dealers (1.2%), sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument and book stores (0.4%), gasoline stations (0.3%), food and beverage stores (0.2%), and nonstore retailers (0.1%) were offset by declines at miscellaneous store retailers (-0.9%), furniture stores (-0.9%), clothing retailers (-0.7%), electronics and appliance stores (-0.4%), motor vehicle and parts dealers (-0.2%), health (-0.2%), food services and drinking places (-0.1%) and general merchandise stores (-0.1%). Excluding auto dealers and gasoline stations, sales were also flat. Meanwhile, sales excluding food services, auto dealers, building materials stores and gasoline stations, which are used to calculate GDP, edged down 0.1%, the first decline in three months.