DU.S. retail sales came in at $514.1 billion, an increase of 1.6% (±0.5%) from the previous month and 3.6% (±0.7%) above March 2018. Total retail sales for the period covering January 2019 through March 2019 were up 2.9% (±0.7%) from the same period a year ago.
The reading reported by the U.S. Census Bureau Thursday easily beats the forecast.
| Prior | Revised | Consensus | Range | Actual | |
| Retail Sales – M/M | -0.2% | 0.8% | 0.3% – 1.4% | 1.6% | |
| Less Autos – M/M | -0.4% | -0.2% | 0.7% | 0.3% – 1.1% | 1.2% |
| Less Autos/Gas | -0.6% | -0.7% | 0.4% | 0.4% – 0.8% | 0.9% |
Released on March 18, 2019 at 8:30 AM EST for March, 2019.
Retail trade sales increased 1.7% (±0.5%) from February 2019, and are 3.5% (±0.5%) higher than last year. Non-store retailers have gained 11.6% (±1.4%) from March 2018, while sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, and book stores were down 9.7% (±2.5%) from last year.
