U.S. retail sales minus motor vehicles, auto parts and gas grew 7.5 percent year over year in December on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to an advance estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau. The December growth is the lowest since May, when sales rose 3.2 percent year over year. For the entire year of 2020, sales grew 6.4 percent year over year despite the pandemic, due in large part to building materials and garden supply stores; food and beverage stores; sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores; and nonstore retailers. All those categories saw multiple months of double-digit growth in 2020.
Sales at restaurants and drinking establishments, which the Census Bureau classifies under a separate category from retail sales, declined 21.2 percent year over year in December, capping off a year that saw 10 consecutive months of negative year-over-year growth.
December year-over-year sales grew …
… by more than November’s
- Furniture and home stores
- Health and personal care stores
- Miscellaneous stores, which includes florists; office supply, stationery and gift stores; and used merchandise stores
… by less than November’s
- Building materials and garden supply stores
- Food-and-beverage stores
- General merchandise stores
- Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores
- Nonstore sales, including online sales, by both physical retailers and mail-order companies
December year-over-year sales contracted …
… by more than November’s
- Clothing stores
- Electronics stores
RELATED: November U.S. retail sales