US Retail Sales Get Boost from Summer Shopping

US retail sales grew in June, as the summer shopping season commenced.

Revenue rose 0.2% – adjusted for seasonal variation – from the previous month to $768.6 billion, according to data the US Census Bureau released Thursday. This was the ninth consecutive month sales increased, with favorable factors helping overcome economic challenges, the National Retail Federation (NRF) added.

“The summer shopping season got off to a strong start in June,” said NRF CEO Matthew Shay. “Consumers took advantage of summer sales events, and many got an early jump on back-to-school shopping. The willingness to spend on retail goods has been supported by the retail industry’s laser focus on affordability as well as a durable labor market.”

Sales were up 7% from June 2025, while the figure for the April-to-June period increased 6% by the same parameter, the Census Bureau reported.

The NRF, which monitors spending using credit- and debit-card purchase data rather than survey-based numbers, stated that June sales improved 0.3% from the previous month.

June’s year-on-year sales grew in all 10 categories the NRF monitors. The clothing and accessories segment – which includes jewelry – gained 14% year on year and 0.6% versus May.

Image: A woman at a shopping mall. (Shutterstock)