Total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, increased by 0.42 per cent month-on-month (MoM) on a seasonally adjusted basis and rose 7.19 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in May. This followed gains of 0.34 per cent MoM and 5.73 per cent YoY recorded in April, NRF said in a press release.
“Retail sales-maintained momentum in May, driven by a resilient labour market and consumers’ continued willingness to spend on retail goods despite pressure from elevated gas prices, tariffs and the conflict in the Middle East,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.
US retail sales rose for the eighth consecutive month in May 2026, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor.
Total retail sales increased 0.42 per cent MoM and 7.19 per cent YoY, while core sales rose 0.39 per cent and 6.98 per cent, respectively.
Clothing and accessories sales climbed 10.25 per cent annually, supported by resilient consumer spending despite inflation, tariffs and higher fuel prices.
Core retail sales, which exclude restaurants in addition to auto dealers and gas stations, rose 0.39 per cent MoM and 6.98 per cent YoY in May, compared with increases of 0.34 per cent MoM and 5.53 per cent YoY in April.
For the January-May period, total retail sales were up 6.29 per cent YoY, while core retail sales increased 6.19 per cent.
Among key retail segments, clothing and accessories stores posted a 0.6 per cent MoM increase and a strong 10.25 per cent YoY rise in May. General merchandise stores recorded growth of 0.41 per cent MoM and 8.28 per cent YoY.
Shay noted that as the boost from large tax refunds received earlier in the year begins to fade, consumers are increasingly focusing on essential purchases and seeking ways to manage household budgets. He added that retailers are working closely with suppliers and supply-chain partners to help keep prices affordable.
The Retail Monitor, unlike the US Census Bureau’s survey-based retail sales report, is based on anonymised credit and debit card transaction data compiled by Affinity Solutions and does not require subsequent monthly or annual revisions.
According to the report, retail sales increased on a yearly basis in eight of nine categories and rose on a monthly basis in seven of nine categories, highlighting the continued strength of consumer demand across much of the US retail sector.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
