Description
US Retail Sales data is collected and published by the U.S. Census Bureau through the Advance Monthly Retail Trade Surveys (MARTS), Monthly Retail Trade Surveys (MRTS), Annual Retail Trade Surveys (ARTS), and Quarterly E-Commerce Reports. The Year-on-Year (YoY) growth rate of retail sales is typically used to assess the health of consumer spending. An increase in retail sales data usually indicates higher consumer spending and a robust economy, while a decline suggests reduced consumer spending and potential economic challenges.
The data is gathered from a monthly survey of approximately 12,000 different retail businesses across the nation. These businesses cover a variety of categories, including automotive sales, food and beverage stores, clothing stores, electronics and appliance stores, furniture and home goods stores, health and personal care stores, food services and drinking places, department stores, and other retail establishments.
Retail sales data is typically released in the middle of each month, providing information on the sales activity of the previous month.
Note: The difference between Seasonally Adjusted (SA) and Not Seasonally Adjusted (NSA) data lies in the fact that SA data is adjusted to eliminate the effects of seasonal patterns, providing a clearer view of long-term trends and underlying economic conditions.