US Retail Sales Statistics 2026: Trends, Data & Key Findings

US retail sales statistics compiled from the Census Bureau, FRED, and NRF. Covers 2024 and 2025 totals, monthly trends, e-commerce share, top retailers, and holiday spending data.

The number that keeps climbing: US retail sales hit $634.7 billion in a single month in late 2025. That’s not the annual figure. That’s one month.

The US retail sector is enormous, but most of the coverage stops at raw numbers published by government data portals. There’s no one pulling it together into a readable picture. So the DontPayFull Research Team compiled this reference from primary sources including the Census Bureau, FRED, the National Retail Federation, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The goal is a single page that covers what’s happening, why it matters, and what it means if you’re a shopper trying to make smarter spending decisions.

US Retail Sales Overview

US total retail sales reached $5.29 trillion in 2024, 3.6% higher than 2023. That’s the broadest measure of how much Americans spend at physical stores and online.

There are actually several different “total US retail sales” numbers you’ll see cited, which is confusing but worth understanding. The NRF’s $5.29 trillion figure includes food services (restaurants, bars). The Census Bureau’s FRED series RSXFS covers retail trade only, excluding food services, and runs at roughly $634 billion per month ($7.6 trillion annualized). And the Census Annual Retail Trade Survey tallies NAICS 44-45 separately at roughly $5 trillion. Each definition captures a real slice of the economy.

Point is: when you see “US retail sales,” always check what’s included. The headline number shifts by a full trillion depending on whether food services are in or out. Big difference.

What those numbers agree on is direction. Retail has grown almost every year for three decades, with only two major disruptions: the 2008 financial crisis and the April 2020 COVID shock. Both recoveries came faster than most economists expected. And the long-run trend line is unmistakably upward.

Monthly US Retail Sales Data and Trends

Monthly retail sales (FRED RSXFS, seasonally adjusted) averaged around $625 billion per month throughout 2025, with December setting the record at $634.7 billion. The seasonal pattern is consistent: retail builds through the fall, peaks in December, then pulls back in January.

The table below shows the full monthly picture for 2025, derived from the FRED RSXFS time series (retail trade excluding food services, seasonally adjusted).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau via FRED, Series RSXFS, seasonally adjusted. Values in millions USD.

The back half of 2025 was remarkably stable. Monthly readings clustered tightly between $631 billion and $635 billion from August through December. Compare that to the first half, where March’s pop to $625 billion was followed by a May dip back to $618 billion. That spring volatility matters to retailers. When spending is uneven, promotions and inventory plans get harder to manage. And when inventory piles up, coupons and discount events usually follow.

What most guides miss is the relationship between these monthly swings and deal activity. Tracking retail data across thousands of stores, we’ve consistently seen a pattern. When a retail category has a soft month (May’s -0.9% in 2025 is a good example), deal volume picks up in the weeks that follow as retailers try to stimulate demand. The data portals report the number. The coupon database shows what happens next.

US Retail Sales by Category

Motor vehicle and parts dealers are still the single largest retail category, at around $1.5 trillion annually. That’s roughly double any other individual segment. But the category that’s growing fastest is nonstore retailers, which is mostly e-commerce.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau MRTS by NAICS category; Statista US Retail Market, 2024.

The category mix matters for deal hunters. Gasoline station sales swing dramatically without any change in shopping behavior, just because oil prices moved. That volatility can skew the headline number up or down in ways that don’t reflect how people actually feel about spending. Worth knowing. Strip out autos and gas, and the underlying trend is generally more stable.

On the flip side, nonstore retailers (the e-commerce bucket) have grown so fast that they now represent more retail activity than clothing, electronics, and furniture combined. That’s the structural shift driving the broader story about online deals.

E-Commerce Share of US Retail Sales

E-commerce accounted for 16.4% of total US retail in 2025, with total online sales reaching $1,233.7 billion, up 5.4% from 2024. That figure comes from the Census Bureau’s annual e-commerce estimate. And if you look only at Q4 2025, the share was 16.6% on an adjusted basis.

The quarterly e-commerce data tells a clear structural story. Back in 2010, online shopping was a niche at roughly 4% of retail. The pandemic in 2020 forced an acceleration, packing years of growth into a matter of months. By 2025, that 16%+ share looks permanent.

So what does this mean for shoppers? More e-commerce means more price competition. Retailers who sell online can’t hide pricing the way a physical store can. You can comparison-shop in seconds across dozens of retailers. That dynamic pushes sellers toward coupon codes, flash deals, and promotional pricing in ways physical-only retail never did.

We’ve seen this play out clearly in apparel. As clothing brands shifted more revenue online, the number of active coupon codes has roughly doubled compared to five years ago. More online competitors, more promotional pressure, more codes available at checkout.

Top Retailers in the United States by Sales

Walmart is still the largest US retailer by revenue, with US net sales of approximately $487 billion in fiscal year 2025. But Amazon is closing the gap fast. And in total global revenue, Amazon actually surpassed Walmart for the first time in 2025.

Sources: NRF Top 100 Retailers 2024; company 10-K filings; The Hill reporting on Amazon/Walmart revenue comparison. Revenue figures are estimates for most recent fiscal years.

The Amazon-vs-Walmart race is the most watched competition in retail. Walmart has been expanding its third-party marketplace and same-day delivery. Amazon keeps growing its advertising and logistics businesses. Both are becoming something more than retailers. Closer to platforms, really.

For deal-seekers, competition between these two giants is good news. When one launches a major sale event, the other usually responds with matching deals. We’ve seen this play out repeatedly during Prime Day, where major competitors run simultaneous promotions that weren’t on the calendar until Amazon announced its dates.

US Retail Industry Employment Statistics

The US retail sector (NAICS 44-45) directly employs about 15.4 million workers as of early 2026. But when you include the full economic footprint through supply chains and dependent industries, the National Retail Federation says the total is 55 million jobs. That’s more than 1 in 4 US workers.

The COVID-19 job loss in April 2020 was stark. 12.9 million retail workers were on payrolls at the low point, down from roughly 15.9 million just months earlier. The recovery was faster than many expected. By late 2024, headcount was back above pre-pandemic levels. That said, the kinds of retail jobs have shifted. E-commerce fulfillment jobs now make up a larger share than traditional store associate positions.

US Retail Store Count: Openings and Closures

Physical US retail stores are still a resilient part of the economy, even as headlines about store closures dominate the news. There are over 1 million retail establishments operating in the United States right now, per BLS QCEW data.

The “retail apocalypse” narrative is real in department stores and certain mall categories, but it doesn’t describe the whole picture. Dollar stores, off-price retailers like TJ Maxx and Marshalls, and discount grocers are actually opening locations. The physical retail footprint isn’t shrinking uniformly. It’s sorting. Value-focused formats are growing while premium and mid-market department stores shrink.

Store closures have a direct effect on deal availability, by the way. When a major chain announces liquidation, that’s when you’ll see clearance discounts of 40-70% across entire product categories. Following retail news and closure announcements has become a legitimate savings strategy.

US Holiday Retail Sales Statistics

US holiday retail sales crossed the $1 trillion mark for the first time in the 2025 holiday season (November-December), a milestone Reuters reported that the NRF had forecast heading into the season. Deloitte’s 2025 holiday forecast projected growth of 2.9%-3.4%, consistent with the trend.

That Cyber Monday record of $13.3 billion in one day puts the monthly figures in perspective. A single promotional day in November drives about 2% of an entire month’s retail trade. That’s a remarkable concentration.

Source: National Retail Federation annual holiday sales reports. “Holiday” = Nov-Dec retail (excluding autos, gas, and restaurants in NRF definition).

The holiday calendar also drives the coupon and deal calendar. Black Friday and Cyber Monday get the headlines, but the weeks leading up to them are when the best stacking opportunities show up. Email subscriber exclusives and early access codes usually surface 2-3 weeks before the public sale starts. That timing pattern is consistent enough that it’s worth planning around, not just reacting to.

What’s less obvious: the weeks right after Christmas are often better for certain categories than Black Friday. Electronics, furniture, and fitness equipment see heavy clearance pricing in late December and January as retailers clear space for new inventory. That’s an angle that doesn’t make the headlines, but shows up clearly in our deal tracking data.

US Retail Sales Historical Trends

US monthly retail sales have grown from roughly $140 billion in early 1992 to $634 billion today. That’s a 4.5% compound annual growth rate over more than three decades. Two disruptions interrupted that trend: the 2008-2009 financial crisis, and the COVID-19 shock of April 2020.

Source: Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), Series RSXFS, U.S. Census Bureau. Year-end December values, seasonally adjusted, millions USD.

The historical data shows clearly that 2021 was an anomaly, not a new baseline. The 12.6% jump that year was driven by a combination of stimulus money, pent-up demand, and inflation arriving all at once. The years since have been a return to a more normal 2-4% annual growth trend. So when analysts call 2025’s 3.5% growth “solid,” they’re right. That’s close to the long-run average. The 2021 numbers were the outlier.

Consumer Confidence and Its Impact on Retail Sales

Consumer sentiment has been falling through early 2026, and that matters for retail. The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index dropped to 53.3 in March 2026, down from 56.6 in February and well below the 80+ readings from 2021. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index came in at 91.2 in February 2026, up slightly from 89.0 in January but far below its November 2024 high of 112.8.

Here’s what’s interesting about the current moment. Sentiment has been declining for months, but retail sales in dollar terms are still growing. How? Nominal sales include inflation. When prices are 2-3% higher than a year ago, dollar sales can show modest gains even if people are buying the same amount of stuff. That gap between sentiment and headline sales is the perfect environment for deal-seeking to accelerate.

We see a clear correlation in our own data: when consumer sentiment surveys drop, coupon searches go up. The Michigan survey hit 53.3 in March 2026. That’s below the levels that preceded both the 2008 recession and the early-pandemic shock. Shoppers aren’t spending less in total, but they’re working harder to get value from every dollar.

US Retail Sales by State and Region

California generates more retail sales than any other US state, at roughly $700 billion annually, followed by Texas at approximately $580 billion. These two states alone account for about 24% of all US retail activity.

The state-level picture matters for understanding where retail growth is actually happening. Sun Belt states (Texas, Florida, Arizona, Georgia) have been gaining population and retail spending share compared to legacy markets like New York and California. That shift determines where new stores open, where fulfillment centers get built, and ultimately, where promotional spending is focused.

What US Retail Sales Data Means for You

Most retail statistics articles stop at the numbers. Here’s the part other guides skip: how to actually use this data to shop smarter.

Slow months create deal windows. Monthly retail data shows that May and September have historically been slower months for retail sales. Retailers running below plan in those months usually respond with more promotions. The FRED RSXFS data shows May 2025 came in at $618 billion, the weakest month of the year by several billion dollars. Deal volume usually picks up in the weeks that follow.

Store closures mean clearance sales. Coresight Research counted 7,325 store closures in 2024 and projects up to 15,000 for 2025. When a chain announces closures, inventory liquidations follow, often at 40-70% off. Following closure news gives you a heads-up on when deep discounts will hit. The off-price retailers (TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross) often benefit at the same time, since liquidated inventory flows into their stores.

E-commerce growth creates more coupons. The rise of e-commerce to 16.4% of all retail has dramatically increased the number of online coupon codes. Physical stores can control pricing more easily. Online stores can’t, because shoppers comparison-shop in seconds. This pressure from online competition is a permanent tailwind for coupon availability. A DontPayFull Chrome extension can test available codes at checkout automatically, because the sheer volume of codes makes manual searching impractical.

Holiday timing is predictable. NRF data going back decades shows the Nov-Dec holiday period consistently makes up 19-20% of annual retail. Retailers know this. They plan for it and schedule their best promotions accordingly. The calendar is not a surprise. What’s consistent is that early-access deals and subscriber-only codes appear 2-3 weeks before public sale events. Signing up for retailer emails before mid-October puts you in the best position to access those early windows.

What’s less obvious: the weeks right after Christmas are often better for certain categories than Black Friday. Electronics, furniture, and fitness equipment see heavy clearance pricing in late December and January as retailers clear space for new inventory. That’s an angle that doesn’t make the headlines, but shows up clearly in our deal tracking data.

Methodology

Data in this article was compiled by the DontPayFull Research Team from primary government sources and industry publications. Primary data sources include the U.S. Census Bureau Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MRTS), Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) Series RSXFS, the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS), the U.S. Census Bureau E-Commerce Quarterly Estimates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW and CES retail series, and the BLS Industry at a Glance data for NAICS 44-45.

A note on data currency. Government statistical agencies usually publish annual survey results 12-18 months after the reference year closes. The FRED RSXFS monthly series is typically published 2-3 weeks after each month ends, making it one of the most current government retail datasets available. As of March 2026, the most recent RSXFS data covers January 2026 (released March 2026), and Census e-commerce estimates cover full-year 2025 (released March 2026). Where this article cites figures from 2024 or earlier annual surveys, those figures are the latest publicly available release at the time of writing, not outdated research.

Industry data comes from the National Retail Federation (NRF), Adobe Analytics holiday reports, Coresight Research store count data, and Statista US retail market datasets. Employment figures are from BLS Current Employment Statistics (CES) and QCEW programs. All figures are in USD. Retail sales figures from FRED Series RSXFS represent retail trade only (excluding food services), seasonally adjusted. NRF total retail figures include food services and use a broader definition. Data accessed March 2026.

Data compiled by the DontPayFull Research Team based on publicly available data from government agencies, academic institutions, and industry research firms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are total US retail sales in 2024?

Total US retail sales in 2024 reached $5.29 trillion (NRF), representing 3.6% growth over 2023. The Census Bureau MRTS figures, which use a narrower definition excluding food services, put retail trade at roughly $6 to $6.2 trillion annualized depending on the measurement approach.

How much do Americans spend on retail per year?

Americans collectively spend between $5.3 and $7.2 trillion per year on retail, depending on the definition. The NRF’s $5.29 trillion (2024) is the most commonly cited figure. The broader Census retail and food services measure, which includes restaurants, runs higher. The US population is about 335 million, which works out to roughly $15,800 in retail spending per person per year across all categories including groceries, cars, and online purchases.

What is the largest retail category in the US?

Motor vehicle and parts dealers are the single largest retail category, generating approximately $1.5 trillion annually. Food and beverage stores are second at roughly $1 trillion. Nonstore retailers (e-commerce) rank third at over $1.2 trillion and are growing faster than all other categories.

How fast is e-commerce growing as a share of retail?

US e-commerce sales grew 5.4% year-over-year in 2025, reaching $1,233.7 billion and accounting for 16.4% of total retail sales. That share was under 4% in 2010, meaning e-commerce has quadrupled its share of retail in just 15 years. The Census Bureau publishes quarterly e-commerce estimates at census.gov/retail/ecommerce.html.

What were 2025 holiday retail sales?

US holiday retail sales (November-December) crossed the $1 trillion mark for the first time in the 2025 season, according to the National Retail Federation. Online holiday sales have been growing around 8-9% annually. Cyber Monday 2024 generated $13.3 billion in a single day, the largest online shopping day ever recorded.

How many people work in US retail?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports approximately 15.4 million direct retail trade (NAICS 44-45) employees as of early 2026. The NRF uses a broader economic footprint measure showing 55 million total US workers supported by the retail sector, including supply chain, logistics, and services that depend on retail activity.

What is the biggest retail month of the year?

December is consistently the highest month by dollar volume. December 2025 came in at $634.7 billion (FRED RSXFS, seasonally adjusted), the record high. Even on a seasonally adjusted basis, December tends to run slightly above the fall trend. Without seasonal adjustment, December is dramatically higher due to holiday shopping.

How did COVID affect US retail sales?

COVID-19 caused the largest single-month retail sales decline on record. Monthly retail trade collapsed from $440 billion in February 2020 to $370.3 billion in April 2020, a drop of about 15.8% in six weeks. The recovery was faster than most forecasters expected: sales surpassed pre-pandemic levels by June 2020, just two months later. The stimulus-driven surge that followed pushed 2021 growth to over 12%. So, the net long-term impact of COVID on total retail sales was actually positive.

Which US retailer has the highest sales?

Walmart is the largest US retailer by domestic revenue, with approximately $487 billion in US net sales in fiscal year 2025. Amazon is second at roughly $388 billion in US retail sales. Costco is third at approximately $242 billion. In total global revenue, Amazon surpassed Walmart for the first time in 2025.

What is the difference between NRF retail sales and Census retail sales?

The main difference is scope. The NRF’s total retail figure includes food services (restaurants, bars), which the Census Bureau’s MRTS retail trade figure excludes. The NRF reported $5.29 trillion for 2024; the Census MRTS retail trade (ex-food services) runs closer to $6+ trillion annualized because it uses a slightly different method and reporting universe. When comparing retail stats across sources, always check whether food services are included and whether the series is seasonally adjusted.

Sources

1. U.S. Census Bureau Monthly Retail Trade Survey: Monthly retail and food services data, January 2026 release (2026)
2. U.S. Census Bureau E-Commerce Quarterly Estimates: Annual and quarterly e-commerce share of retail, 2025 full-year (2026)
3. Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), Series RSXFS: Monthly retail trade ex-food services, 1992-2026 (2026)
4. National Retail Federation – 2025 Retail Forecast: 2024 and 2025 total retail sales data, employment figures (2025)
5. National Retail Federation – 2026 Forecast: 2026 retail growth forecast using revised economic model (2026)
6. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Retail Trade NAICS 44-45: Monthly employment data, job openings, wage statistics (2026)
7. U.S. Census Bureau Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS): Annual retail sales by NAICS category (2024)
8. Coresight Research Store Tracker: US store openings and closures 2024 review and 2025 outlook (2025)
9. University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment: Consumer Sentiment Index, March 2026 (2026)
10. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence: Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, February 2026 (2026)
11. Reuters – Holiday Sales Report: US holiday sales crossing $1 trillion for first time (2025)
12. Deloitte Holiday Retail Forecast 2025: Holiday retail growth forecast 2.9-3.4% (2025)
13. The Hill – Amazon Surpasses Walmart: Amazon tops Walmart in global revenue (2025)
14. Statista – US Retail Market: Food and beverage store sales, general merchandise, gasoline station, clothing store sales data (2024)
15. NRF Top 100 Retailers: Top US retailers by annual revenue (2024)

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