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UNITED STATES

NATIONAL RETAIL BULLETIN

Discounts, Snowstorms, and Recession Stabilize US Retail Sales in December

Release date: January 18, 2023

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The US retail sales seem to have normalized in December with All Stores up 5.3% YOY and All stores Less Automotive, Food, Pharmacies also up 6.4% YOY.

December was expected to be a lower revenue month for retail sales. In the midst of a recession, and with deep-discounting taking place across all categories for Black Friday (more like Black Friday Month), this was not overly surprising. However, there was an unpredictable factor that also heavily affected the US retail sales along the East Coast: A terrible winter storm that shut stores, roads, and even caused numerous deaths. Though there were some heartwarming retail stories that came out of the situation (like a Target in Buffalo hosting stranded travelers in their stores), an event causing consumers to stay home and not shop inevitably affected pre-Christmas retail sales.

When looking back at 2022 as a whole, and comparing the YTD sales, it is interesting to see the categories that were the most and least successful throughout the year. The more successful being:

  • Gasoline Stations – Up 29.9% YTD,
  • Food Services and Drinking Places – Up 16.8% YTD, and
  • Miscellaneous Store Retailers – Up 14.4% YTD.

Whereas Gasoline Stations increase is likely solely due to inflation, the other most successful categories are thanks to people returning to in-store purchasing and having events out with friends and family.

The least successful categories were those most affected by the macro-trends in 2022 like supply chain constraints and a decrease in discretionary spending:  

  • Electronics and Appliances Stores – Down -6.3% YTD,
  • Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores – Up only 1.0% YTD, and
  • Department Stores (Excluding Leased Departments) – Up a mere 1.0% YTD as well.

With a slower December, but increasing consumer confidence, 2023 stands to be an interesting year for retail. Our team just returned from the NRF Big Show in New York, which has reinvigorated our passion for innovation going into this year. Watch for our NRF wrap-up as well as blogs on the incredible innovations and thought leadership seen at NRF. As we begin to reflect on our week in New York, here is what we are thinking about:

  • Who will win the great “AI in Retail” war?
  • How is in-store tech best integrated for customer experience without being overwhelming?
  • When will more brands make the move into branded experiences, without the ability to purchase product?
  • What are the takeaways for small and medium businesses that don’t have millions to spend on innovation?
  • How are YOU tracking retail trends and preparing for what’s to come?

For 2023 retail strategy support, reach out to JCWG. We have also released a signup sheet here for this year’s highly anticipated “Retail Innovations 18” book. We will also be hosting our free webinar series “Retail Trends Tuesday” throughout the month of February, so stay tuned for signups!

US Retail Sales by Product Category, Same Month Comparison

Sales for the Month of DecemberDec-22Dec-21YOY
All Stores749,395711,6735.30%
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers123,914122,3041.32%
Gasoline Stations54,45651,8295.07%
All Stores Less Automotive571,025537,5406.23%
Food and Beverage Stores88,80482,7297.34%
Grocery Stores77,54971,8457.94%
Health and Personal Care Stores37,92837,3561.53%
All Stores Less Automotive, Food, Pharmacies444,293417,4556.43%
Building Material and Garden Equipment Stores38,52638,2940.61%
General Merchandise Stores88,85185,1284.37%
Department Stores (Excluding Leased Departments)16,95917,073-0.67%
Clothing and Accessories Stores40,73939,3753.46%
Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics and Appliance Stores22,34923,124-3.35%
Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores12,58512,678-0.73%
Electronics and Appliance Stores9,76410,446-6.53%
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, and Book Stores13,39312,8244.44%
Miscellaneous Store Retailers15,62015,5950.16%
Nonstore Retailers135,424124,2918.96%
Food Services and Drinking Places89,39178,82413.41%

US Retail Sales by Store Category, Year to Date Comparison

Year to Date Sales Ending DecemberDec-22Dec-21YTD
All Stores8,123,1887,441,3869.16%
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers1,529,2301,480,1243.32%
Gasoline Stations758,167583,49529.94%
All Stores Less Automotive5,835,7915,377,7678.52%
Food and Beverage Stores947,571880,2607.65%
Grocery Stores848,518783,1658.34%
Health and Personal Care Stores400,371385,3883.89%
All Stores Less Automotive, Food, Pharmacies4,487,8494,112,1199.14%
Building Material and Garden Equipment Stores509,533477,7906.64%
General Merchandise Stores830,327804,2893.24%
Department Stores (Excluding Leased Departments)134,197132,8111.04%
Clothing and Accessories Stores312,311294,0626.21%
Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics and Appliance Stores231,646236,141-1.90%
Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores143,429141,9601.03%
Electronics and Appliance Stores88,21794,181-6.33%
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, and Book Stores933,672797,51317.07%
Miscellaneous Store Retailers185,782162,41214.39%
Nonstore Retailers1,284,2671,153,23711.36%
Food Services and Drinking Places1,023,063876,33716.74%

US Consumer Confidence Index (2010 = 100)

Join the discussion on this release here.


past national retail bulletins


  • US NRB December 2022

    January 18, 2023

  • US NRB November 2022

    December 15, 2022

  • US NRB October 2022

    November 16, 2022

  • US NRB September 2022

    October 14, 2022

  • US NRB August 2022

    September 15, 2022

  • US NRB July 2022

    August 17, 2022

  • US NRB June 2022

    July 15, 2022

  • US NRB May 2022

    June 15, 2022

  • US NRB April 2022

    May 17, 2022

  • US NRB March 2022

    April 14, 2022

  • US NRB February 2022

    March 16, 2022

  • US NRB January 2022

    February 16, 2022
Browse older…

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