Story · United States · 14 Aug 2026
US retail sales fell 0.6% in July
The monthly fall points to softer goods spending, though annual sales remained higher and the data cover only part of household consumption.
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-0.6%
U.S. retail sales, July vs June 2026
+5.0%
U.S. retail sales, July 2026 vs July 2025
$763.6 billion
U.S. retail and food-service sales, July 2026
Exam link: Economic growth → business activity and investment → output, employment and aggregate demand
Understand the storyExpand Close
The Census Bureau estimated July 2026 retail and food-service sales at $763.6 billion, down 0.6% from June but 5.0% above July 2025.
What happened
Advance estimates showed a monthly pullback in nominal retail sales after seasonal adjustment, while the year-on-year comparison continued to show growth.
Why it matters
Retail data offer an early signal of consumer demand and can shift expectations for GDP, company revenues and future monetary policy.
Economic context
The series is nominal and excludes many services, so inflation and spending outside shops must be considered before drawing conclusions about real consumption.
All key dataExpand Close
- U.S. retail sales, July vs June 2026
- -0.6%
- U.S. retail sales, July 2026 vs July 2025
- +5.0%
- U.S. retail and food-service sales, July 2026
- $763.6 billion
Terms explainedExpand Close
Year-on-year
A comparison with the same period one year earlier, which helps separate annual change from short-run monthly movements.
Use it in an examExpand Close
Evidence
-0.6% — U.S. retail sales, July vs June 2026
Explain
Retail data offer an early signal of consumer demand and can shift expectations for GDP, company revenues and future monetary policy.
Evaluate
The series is nominal and excludes many services, so inflation and spending outside shops must be considered before drawing conclusions about real consumption.
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