by Sector reports its 9th straight year-over-year increase since last September
WASHINGTON — Furniture stores had another banner month in May as sales rose 8.8% from a year earlier, marking the ninth straight monthly increase of year-over-year sales activity since last September.
The sector also posted the highest percentage gain compared with other retail segments tracked by the U.S. government, including non-store retailers, which includes e-commerce specialists and catalog businesses.
May furniture store sales totaled $11.8 billion, compared with $10.8 billion in May 2024, an 8.8% increase. Sales also were up from $11.6 billion in April, a 1.2% increase.
Overall retail sales totaled $715.4 billion, up 3.3% from $692.6 billion in May 2024, but down .9% from $722 billion in April.
The numbers suggest consumers may have been spending more than last year, perhaps to get ahead of tariff-related price increases expected in the next month or two. The month-over-month figures, however, suggested that consumers pulled back for fear of having to pay for goods hit with tariffs as high as 145% on China-made products.
Non-store retailers including e-commerce specialists and catalog businesses had the next highest year-over-year percentage gain of 8.3%, with sales of $125.5 billion, compared with $115.9 billion in May 2024. This was followed by health and beauty stores, where sales increased 7.7% to $38.8 billion, from $36 billion; miscellaneous store retailers (pet supply stores, religious supply stores and florists, for example) with sales of $14.5 billion, up 7.5% from $13.4 billion; restaurants and bars, with sales of $97.4 billion, up 5.3% from $92.5 billion; clothing and clothing accessories stores, up 3.7% to $26.2 billion, from $25.2 billion; and motor vehicle and parts dealers, up 2.5%, to $135.8 billion, from $132.5 billion.
Also seeing an increase were general merchandise stores, up 2.2% to $76.8 billion, from $75.1 billion; food and beverage stores, also up 2.2% to $83.8 billion, from $82 billion; and sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument and bookstores, up 1.8% to $8 billion, from $7.8 billion.
Down for the month were gasoline stations, which reported a 6.9% decline, to $49.8 billion, from $53.5 billion; electronics and appliance stores, down 1.9% to $7.6 billion, from $7.8 billion; and building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers, down 1.1% to $39.7 billion, from $40.1 billion.
Do these numbers take inflation into account? An 8.8% increase is less than the increases I’ve had to make in pricing over the last 12 months.