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%. source: U.S. Census Bureau

Retail Sales in the United States increased 0.60 percent in February of 2026 over the previous month. Retail Sales MoM in the United States averaged 0.39 percent from 1992 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 19.30 percent in May of 2020 and a record low of -14.40 percent in April of 2020. This page provides - U.S. December Retail Sales Increased More Than Forecast - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. US Retail Sales - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on April of 2026.

Retail Sales in the United States increased 0.60 percent in February of 2026 over the previous month. Retail Sales MoM in the United States is expected to be 0.30 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the US Retail Sales is projected to trend around 0.70 percent in 2027 and 0.50 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-03-06 01:30 PM
Retail Sales MoM
Jan -0.2% 0% -0.3% -0.2%
2026-04-01 12:30 PM
Retail Sales MoM
Feb 0.6% -0.1% 0.5% 0.3%
2026-04-21 12:30 PM
Retail Sales MoM
Mar 0.6% 0.4%

Components Last Previous Unit Reference
Retail Sales Ex Autos MoM 0.50 0.00 percent Feb 2026
Retail Sales Ex Gas/Autos MoM 0.40 0.20 percent Feb 2026

Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Chain Store Sales 674.64 816.62 USD Million Jan 2026
Retail Sales Control Group MoM 0.50 0.20 percent Feb 2026
Retail Sales MoM 0.60 -0.10 percent Feb 2026
Retail Sales YoY 3.70 3.19 percent Feb 2026


US Retail Sales
Retail sales report in the US provides aggregated measure of sales of retail goods and services over a period of a month. There are thirteen major types of retailers: Motor vehicle & parts dealers (20% of total sales), Nonstore retailers (17%), Food services & drinking places (14%), Food & beverage stores (12%), General merchandise stores (10%), Gasoline stations (7%), Building material & garden equipment dealers (6%), Health & personal care stores (5%), Clothing & clothing accessories stores (3%), Miscellaneous store retailers (2%), Furniture & home furnishings stores (2%), Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument & book stores (1%), and Electronics & appliance stores (1%).
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
0.60 -0.10 19.30 -14.40 1992 - 2026 percent Monthly
Current Prices, SA

News Stream
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%.
2026-04-01
US Retail Sales Contract in January
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.
2026-03-06
US Retail Sales Unexpectedly Stall
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.
2026-02-10