August 2019 US Retail Sales: A Solid Month with Clothing Stores Returning to Growth

Key Points

Coresight Research’s monthly reports keep you up to date on US and UK retail sales, US retail traffic and in-store metrics, selected US retailers’ same-store sales and key global consumer indicators. Click here to view our full collection of Monthly Reports.

Our monthly US Retail Sales Report reviews the latest sector data published by the US Census Bureau.

Highlights from our August US Retail Sales Report:

• Total US retail sales excluding gasoline and automobiles increased 4.7% year over year in August, versus the5.6% year-over-year rise in July.
• Furniture and home-furnishing stores sales fell 0.1% year over in August, following July’s 1.8% increase. The clothing sector saw sales increase 2.3% in August, following a 0.5% drop in July and a 2.4% drop in June. Department store retailers posted a sales decline of 4.8%, worsening from a 4.6% decline in July.
• In August, nonstore retailers saw sales rise 14.3% year on year, following the 17.7% year-over-year rise in July, when sales had been boosted by Amazon Prime Day.