-
Retail trade, July 2018
Retail sales rose 0.3% to $50.9 billion in July on higher sales at food and beverage stores and gasoline stations. Excluding the lower sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales increased 0.9%. Sales were up in 8 of 11 subsectors, representing 54.8% of total retail sales. After removing the effects of price changes, retail sales in volume terms decreased 0.1%. Sales at food and beverage stores rose 1.3% in July. The gain was led by higher receipts at supermarkets and other grocery stores (+1.2%). Sales at beer, wine and liquor stores (+1.5%) and convenience stores (+3.3%) increased for the fifth ... (full story)