Retail sales for June (excluding motor vehicles and gasoline) rose by 3.8 percent from June of last year, on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Among the strongest performers were health and personal-care retailers, which saw sales climb by 5.5 percent. Nonstore retail (a category that includes all online sales, including those processed by physical retailers, plus mail-order companies) rose by 13.4 percent. Restaurants and drinking establishments were busy, recording a 4 percent year-over-year rise in June transactions. Sales rose by 2.9 percent at food-and-beverage stores.
Restaurant and drinking-establishment sales rose by 4 percent in June, relative to a year ago
General-merchandise store sales were up by 2.5 percent, but a subset of this category — traditional and discount department stores — saw sales drop back by 5.2 percent.
Sales declines were reported also among electronics stores (down by 5 percent); the category that covers sporting-goods, hobby, book and music stores (off by 3.3 percent); building-supply stores (down 2.5 percent); and apparel (a 0.9 percent slide).
By Edmund Mander
Director, Editor-In-Chief/SCT
