Retail sales drop 1.3% in May, April gain revised to 0.9%

Advance Estimates of U.S. Retail and Food Services

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for May 2021, adjusted for seasonal variation and
holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $620.2 billion, a decrease of 1.3%
(±0.5 percent) from the previous month, but 28.1 percent (±0.7 percent) above May 2020. Total sales for
the March 2021 through May 2021 period were up 36.2 percent (±0.5 percent) from the same period a
year ago. The March 2021 to April 2021 percent change was revised from virtually unchanged (±0.5
percent) to up 0.9 percent (±0.2 percent).

Retail trade sales were down 1.7 percent (± 0.5 percent) from April 2021, but up 24.4 percent (± 0.7
percent) above last year. Clothing and clothing accessories stores were up 200.3 percent (±2.8 percent)
from May 2020, while food services and drinking places were up 70.6 percent (±3.0 percent) from last
year.