Retail Trade Report for April 2022

 

The Census Bureau has released the April 2022 Advance Retail And Food Services Estimates. (The graph is roughly adjusted for inflation, while the report and following summary are not adjusted for inflation. 

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for April 2022, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $677.7 billion, an increase of 0.9 percent (±0.5 percent) from the previous month, and 8.2 percent (±0.7 percent) above April 2021. 

Total sales for the February 2022 through April 2022 period were up 10.8 percent (±0.7 percent) from the same period a year ago. The February 2022 to March 2022 percent change was revised from up 0.7 percent (±0.5 percent) to up 1.4 percent (±0.3 percent).

Retail trade sales were up 0.7 percent (±0.4 percent) from March 2022, and up 6.7 percent (±0.7 percent) above last year. Gasoline stations were up 36.9 percent (±1.8 percent) from April 2021, while food services and drinking places were up 19.8 percent (±4.4 percent) from last year.

The winners are Motor vehicle & parts dealers, up 2.17% MoM; Non-store retailers (which include Mail Order and Electronic Shopping), up 2.15%; and  Food services & drinking places, up 2.0%. (All not adjusted for inflation.)

Of the $6.063B increase from March... those figures above account for $7.309B of that $6.063B. Which would indicate all the rest lost -$1.246B, but Gasoline Stations were down -$1.734B, leaving all the rest to divvy up the remaining $488M, not adjusted for inflation.

All in all, a slight improvement, although I fail to see how the auto sector can continue the upward trend. I suspect borrowing heavily is once again in vogue and wonder at what point in time... increased interest rates will stifle this enthusiasm.

I guess only time will tell.