The trend over time.
The latest available read: Retail Sales YoY is at 6.19% as of September 2026. Source: FRED · RSXFS. CSV and PNG downloads cover the selected date range.
What Retail Sales YoY measures.
The year-over-year percentage change in monthly retail sales (Census Bureau series RSXFS: retail trade excluding food services), in current dollars.
It is not adjusted for inflation, so part of any increase is just higher prices. Compare it with CPI to see whether sales are growing in real terms.
Why it matters.
Retail sales reveal how much consumers are actually spending, which drives about 70% of economic growth and signals whether your job market and wage growth will stay strong. A slowdown here could mean less hiring and wage pressure down the road.
Where it fits.
Retail Sales YoY is covered on the Consumer page.