May 2019 US Retail Sales: Slowdown Seen Across Sectors with Major Softening in Clothing and Department Stores

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 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.