Finance 0

Retail Sales Rise A Feeble 0.1 Percent, Yet Generally Better Than Expected

By Kurt Osterberg · On September 17, 2024

Advance nominal and real (Inflation-Adjusted) and month-over-month from the Census Bureau, chart by Mish.We have another interesting set of Advance Retail Sales numbers from the Commerce Department this morning.

Advance Estimates of U.S. Retail and Food Services Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for August 2024, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $710.8 billion, an increase of 0.1 percent (±0.5 percent) from the previous month, and up 2.1 percent (±0.5 percent) from August 2023.

Total sales for the June 2024 through August 2024 period were up 2.3 percent (±0.5 percent) from the same period a year ago.

The June 2024 to July 2024 percent change was revised from up 1.0 percent (±0.5 percent) to up 1.1 percent (±0.2 percent).

Retail trade sales were up 0.1 percent (±0.5 percent) from July 2024, and up 2.0 percent (±0.5 percent) from last year.

Nonstore retailers were up 7.8 percent (±1.4 percent) from last year, while food services and drinking places were up 2.7 percent (±2.1 percent) from August 2023.

Real vs Nominal SalesThe key phrase from the Census Department is “adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes.”It’s real sales that add to GDP and this blog is among the few places that discusses real sales. There might be others but I have not seen them.This year we have four months of positive and four months of negative retail sales.
Nominal Advance Retail Sales Percent Change Month-Over-Month
These numbers gyrate so much it’s hard to have much faith in any of them.Did consumers really go on a grocery shopping spree last month then reduce grocery expenses this month?And the swings in motor vehicles are ridiculous because of the way they are counted.Motor vehicles sales are counted when the manufacturers ship cars to the dealer, not when a consumer purchases them.
Bloomberg Econoday Consensus

Retail Sales: -0.3 expected vs +0.1 actual

Excluding Vehicles: +0.3 expected vs +0.1 actual

Excluding Vehicles and Gasoline: +0.3 expected vs +0.2 actual

So is that better or weaker than expected?Because of the way car sales are reported, one can make a case either way. Then again, not the surge of nonstore (e.g. Amazon) sales up a whopping 1.4 percent.The next chart will help put things into proper perspective
Real vs Nominal Advance Retail Sales
Real vs Nominal Advance Retail Sales Detail
Real vs Nominal Advance Retail Sales Percent Change from Year Ago
Real retail sales are negative year-over-year in 15 of the last 18 months including the last five months.This strong consumer idea is a total BS mirage of strong inflation.
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