Insight Report 2 minutes PremiumMay 2019 US Retail Sales: Slowdown Seen Across Sectors with Major Softening in Clothing and Department Stores Coresight Research June 18, 2019 Executive SummaryCoresight 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 May US Retail Sales Report: Total US retail sales excluding gasoline and automobiles increased 3.2% year over year in May, weakening from the revised 5.8% year-over-year rise in April. Furniture stores sales increased 1.2% year over in May, slightly above April’s 1.1% growth. The clothing sector saw sales drop 2.4% in May, compared to a 3.9% increase in April. Department store retailers posted a sales decline of 3.3%, worsening from a 0.9% fall in April. In May, nonstore retailers saw sales rise 11.4% year over year, lower than the 12.9% reported in April. Already a subscriber? Log in You are currently viewing a preview of this report. Please select an access option to view the full report. Hide Options - Show Options + Get unlimited access to all our research with one of our subscription plans. View Subscription Plans or Contact us to purchase this report. Contact us ✕ This document was generated for Other research you may be interested in: Analyst Corner: How Is AI Shaping MarTech?—Transforming Your Strategy via Agentic AI, with Manik BhatiaPersonal Financial Sentiment Improves: Weekly US Consumer Sentiment, Week 19, 2025—InfographicAmazon Apparel US Consumer Survey 2025: New Shoppers, Deeper Loyalty—InfographicFinancial Sentiment Improves; Plus, Online Shopping in Focus: US Consumer Survey Insights