US retail sales rise for fifth consecutive month in February

According to information from the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions and released by the National Retail Federation (NRF), full retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, roseate by 0.28% connected a seasonally adjusted ground from January to February.

Compared to the aforesaid play past year, income were up 6.24% connected an unadjusted basis.

In January, these figures stood astatine a 0.2% month-over-month summation and a 5.72% year-over-year rise.

Core retail sales, which exclude restaurants arsenic good arsenic car dealers and state stations, climbed 0.27% period implicit period successful February and 5.87% compared to February 2025.

For January, halfway retail income had grown by 0.15% period implicit period and 5.51% twelvemonth implicit year.

For the archetypal 2 months of 2026, full retail sales, including covering were up 6.04% compared to the aforesaid play past year, portion halfway income accrued by 5.76%.

• Clothing and accessories stores experienced a 0.66% summation from January connected a seasonally adjusted ground and an 11.05% emergence compared to February 2025 unadjusted.

• Sporting goods, hobby, music, and bookstores saw a flimsy alteration of 0.02% period implicit period connected a seasonally adjusted basis, but were up 6.53% twelvemonth implicit twelvemonth unadjusted.

• General merchandise stores posted a 0.27% monthly summation connected a seasonally adjusted ground and a 7.77% yearly summation unadjusted.

On a yearly basis, 8 retired of 9 retail categories saw maturation successful February, with covering stores, wellness and idiosyncratic attraction outlets, and wide merchandise stores starring the increases. On a monthly basis, 5 categories recorded gains.

NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay said: “Despite harsh wintertime weather, user spending grew erstwhile again successful February, supported by continued wage gains and wide debased unemployment levels.

“This was the 5th consecutive period that income roseate from the period before, and year-over-year gains were strong. With renewed warring successful the Middle East and its interaction connected planetary economies, retailers stay heavy focused connected delivering products astatine competitory prices to worth conscious consumers.”

Imports astatine large US ports are projected to enactment beneath 2025 levels during the archetypal fractional of 2026 arsenic the manufacture assesses the broader effects of the ongoing struggle involving Iran.

According to the Global Port Tracker study from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, US ports processed 2.08 cardinal twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) successful January 2026, down 6.4% diminution compared to January 2025.

"US retail income emergence for 5th consecutive period successful February" was primitively created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand.