Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services, August Report.
Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for August 2024, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $710.8 billion, an increase of 0.1 percent (±0.5 percent)* from the previous month, and up 2.1 percent (±0.5 percent) from August 2023.
Note the numbers are not adjusted for inflation. Keep in mind, the BLS listed the annual inflation rate of 2.5%
First up, the revision history (might need to click on, to up scale)...
The historical numbers, also with adjustments for inflation...
After last month's "stellar" report, which was mostly from revisions and other items, this month is tame.
There were winners and losers, however. The biggest sales numbers come from the auto sector, which faded a bit over the past month in adjusted sales, and is below the annual.
The next biggest sector is food and beverage stores, which also saw a decrease in adjusted sales. General merchandise continued that trend, with department stores sales for adjusted monthly and annual falling.
Food services and drinking establishments held steady for the monthly adjusted.
Mail order companies, continue to outpace nearly all others.
