Sales rise in June for ninth straight month amid sales events
The summer shopping season got off to a solid start in June as shoppers took advantage of special seasonal sales events by Amazon and other retailers.
Core retail sales rose 0.36% month over month in June — and were up 10.08% year over year, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, released by the National Retail Federation. That compared with increases of 0.39% month over month and 6.98% year over year in May. (Core retail sales exclude restaurants, auto dealers and gasoline stations.)
Total retail sales (including restaurants but excluding automobile dealers and gas stations) rose 0.33% seasonally adjusted month over month and were up 9.41% year over year. That compared with increases of 0.42% month over month and 7.19% year over year in May. June marked the ninth consecutive month of sales gains.
The unusually large year-over-year increases were because of the comparison against slow sales in June 2025, noted the NRF. Calculated on a seasonally adjusted basis to compensate, total sales were up 4.26% and core sales were up 4.23%.
June sales were up in all but two — electronics/appliance stores and furniture/home furnishings stores — of nine categories on a monthly basis. Specifics from key sectors are below:
•Sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores were up 0.45% month over month and up 18.53% year over year.
•Electronics and appliance stores were down 0.01% month over month but up 14.16% year over year.
•Clothing and accessories stores were up 0.63% month over month and up 13.65% year over year.
•Digital products (such as electronic books and games) were up 1.25% month over month and up 13.56% year over year.
•Health and personal care stores were up 0.5% month over month and up 12.87% year over year.
•General merchandise stores were up 0.29% month over month and up 9.9% year over year.
•Grocery and beverage stores were up 0.25% month over month and up 5.26% year over year.
•Furniture and home furnishings stores were down 0.16% month over month but up 4.92% year over year.
•Building and garden supply stores were up 0.06% month over month and up 4.04% year over year.
Unlike survey-based numbers collected by the Census Bureau, the Retail Monitor uses actual, anonymized credit and debit card purchase data compiled by Affinity Solutions.
