Q1 Retail Sales Recap: Internet Retailers & Building Material Stores Growth

With the latest March sales now in the books, I thought it would be worthwhile to compare January 2011 to March 2011 to January 2017 to March 2017. Some highlights:

  • Internet Nonstore Retailers posted an astounding 60% growth rate for the top spot.
  • Building Materials Retailers like Home Depot and Lowes posted a 45% growth rate.
  • Lower gasoline prices led to a decline of 14%.
  • Unsurprisingly, Department Stores posted a decline of 18%.

The trends are undeniable. The shift to the internet and categories like restaurants has been alive and well for years. All categories except gasoline and department stores were positive.

Source: https://www.census.gov/retail/index.html