June 2026 retail sales increase as summer shopping season begins
Retail sales increased for the ninth consecutive month in June, with gains driven by summer promotional events and early back-to-school shopping, according to the latest CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions.
Total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, increased 0.33% from May on a seasonally adjusted basis and were up 9.41% from June 2025 on an unadjusted basis. Core retail sales, which also exclude restaurants, rose 0.36% month over month and 10.08% year over year.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) said the large year-over-year gains reflected comparisons with relatively weak retail sales in June 2025. On a seasonally adjusted basis, total retail sales were up 4.26% from a year earlier, while core retail sales increased 4.23%.
For the first half of 2026, unadjusted total retail sales were up 6.81% compared with the same period last year. Core retail sales increased 6.84%.
“The summer shopping season got off to a strong start in June,” Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation, said. He said consumers responded to summer sales events and began back-to-school shopping early, supported by retail pricing strategies and a stable labor market.
June sales were up across the board on a yearly basis, led by sporting goods, electronics and clothing stores, and were up in all but two of nine categories on a monthly basis. Specifics from key sectors include:
- Clothing and accessories stores were up 0.63% month over month seasonally adjusted and up 13.65% year over year unadjusted.
- Health and personal care stores were up 0.5% month over month seasonally adjusted and up 12.87% year over year unadjusted.
- General merchandise stores were up 0.29% month over month seasonally adjusted and up 9.9% year over year unadjusted.
- Grocery and beverage stores were up 0.25% month over month seasonally adjusted and up 5.26% year over year unadjusted.
- Furniture and home furnishings stores were down 0.16% month over month seasonally adjusted but up 4.92% year over year unadjusted.
- Building and garden supply stores were up 0.06% month over month seasonally adjusted and up 4.04% year over year unadjusted.
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