by Calculated Risk on 12/16/2020 08:39:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales decreased 1.1 percent from October to November (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 4.1 percent from November 2019.

From the Census Bureau report:

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for November 2020, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $546.5 billion, a decrease of 1.1 percent from the previous month, but 4.1 percent above November 2019. Total sales for the September 2020 through November 2020 period were up 5.2 percent from the same period a year ago. The September 2020 to October 2020 percent change was revised from up 0.3 percent to down 0.1 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 down 1.0% in November.


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 5.9% on a YoY basis.

The decrease in November was well below expectations, and sales in October were revised down (September was revised up).