by Calculated Risk on 9/16/2020 08:39:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.6 percent from July to August (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 2.6 percent from August 2019.

From the Census Bureau report:

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for August 2020, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $537.5 billion, an increase of 0.6 percent from the previous month, and 2.6 percent above August 2019. Total sales for the June 2020 through August 2020 period were up 2.4 percent from the same period a year ago. The June 2020 to July 2020 percent change was revised from up 1.2 percent to up 0.9 percent.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows retail sales since 1992. This is monthly retail sales and food service, seasonally adjusted (total and ex-gasoline).

Retail sales ex-gasoline were up 0.6% in August.


The second graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993.

Retail and Food service sales, ex-gasoline, increased by 4.0% on a YoY basis.

The increase in August was below expectations, and sales in June and July were revised down, combined.