March retail sales rise nearly 10%, easily topping estimates

Advance Estimates of U.S. Retail and Food Services
Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for March 2021, adjusted for seasonal variation
and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $619.1 billion, an increase of 9.8
percent (±0.5 percent) from the previous month, and 27.7 percent (±0.7 percent) above March 2020.
Total sales for the January 2021 through March 2021 period were up 14.3 percent (±0.5 percent) from the
same period a year ago. The January 2021 to February 2021 percent change was revised from down 3.0
percent (±0.5 percent) to down 2.7 percent (±0.2 percent).

Retail trade sales were up 9.4 percent (±0.5 percent) from February 2021, and up 26.9 percent (±0.7
percent) above last year. Motor vehicle and parts dealers were up 71.1 percent (±2.3 percent) from March
2020, while food services and drinking places were up 36.0 percent (±3.0 percent) from last year.