National Retail Federation

Commerce reported that May retail sales—at $686.6 billion—headed up 0.3% over April and were up 1.6% annually. And it added that total retail sales, from March through May, were up 1.7% annually. NRF reported that May retail sales were up 0.4% over April and were up 4.4% on an unadjusted basis annually.

For April, the most recent month for which data is available, Port Tracker observed that import volumes, for the ports covered in the report, came in at 1.78 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), which marked a 9.6% gain over March’s 1.62 million TEU— the lowest volume in a month going back to May 2020’s 1.53 million TEU, when several Asian-based factories and U.S.-based stores were closed because of the pandemic—and a 21.3% annual decline.

Commerce reported that April retail sales—at $686.1 billion—were up 0.4% compared to March and were up 1.6% annually. NRF reported that April retail sales, which does not include automobile dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants, were up 0.6% over March and were up 2% on an unadjusted basis annually. And on a three-month moving average through April, NRF said that retail sales were up 3.7% annually on an unadjusted basis.

For March, the most recent month for which data is available, Port Tracker noted that import volumes, for the ports covered in the report, came in at 1.62 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), marking a 5% gain over February—which saw its lowest volume in a month going back to May 2020’s 1.53 million TEU, when several Asian-based factories and U.S.-based stores were closed because of the pandemic—while posting a 30.6% annual decline. This tally trailed a previous March estimate, of 1.68...

United States-bound import volumes are pegged to see gains through the summer months, albeit at below levels seen during the pandemic, according to the new edition of the Port Tracker report, which was issued today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and maritime consultancy Hackett Associates.

In its forecast, NRF is calling for 2023 retail sales to see an annual increase between 4%-to-6%, coming in between $5.13 trillion-to-$5.23 trillion. This annual forecast, trails the 7% rate of annual retail sales growth seen in 2022, for a total of $4.9 trillion. And NRF said that the 2023 forecast tops the pre-pandemic, average annual retail sales growth rate of 3.6%.

Commerce reported that February retail sales—at $697.9 billion—were off 0.4% compared to January and up 5.4% annually. And it added that total retail sales, from December through February, saw a 6.4% annual gain compared to the same period a year ago. NRF reported that its calculation of retail sales, which excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants, pointed to a 0.5% increase over January and a 6.5% on an unadjusted annual basis.

Commerce reported that January retail sales—at $697.0 billion—were up 3% compared to January and up 6.4% annually. NRF reported that its calculation of retail sales, which excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants to focus on core retail, saw January increase 1.5% compared to December and a 4.8% increase on an unadjusted basis annually.

A pairing of ongoing economic uncertainty and lower import volumes were the key themes in the new edition of the Port Tracker report, which was issued by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and maritime consultancy Hackett Associates.

In this podcast, Jeff Berman, Group News Editor for Logistics Management and the Peerless Media Supply Chain Group, interviews Jonathan Gold, Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy, for the National Retail Federation (NRF).

In this podcast, Jeff Berman, Group News Editor for Logistics Management and the Peerless Media Supply Chain Group, interviews Jonathan Gold, Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy, for the National Retail Federation (NRF).

For November, the most recent month for which data is available, import volume for the ports covered in the report, came in at 1.78 million TEU, an 11.3% decline compared to October and a 15.8% annual decline. This represented the lowest monthly tally since February 2021, when it came in at 1.87 million TEU, the lone month in more than two years to come in below 2 million TEU.

For October, the most recent month for which data is available, import volume—at 2 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units)—was off 1.3% compared to September and was off 9.3% annually.

The United States Department of Commerce’s U.S. Census Bureau reported that October retail sales—at $694.5 billion—rising 1.3% compared to September and were up 8.3% annually. And for the August through October period, retail sales increased a collective 8.9% annually. And the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that its calculation of retail sales, which excludes sales for automotive dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants to focus on core retail, pointed to a 0.7% increase from September and a 6.5% unadjusted annual gain.

The holiday sales forecast numbers are encouraging, with NRF forecasting holiday retail sales for increase 6%-to-8% annually, coming in between $942.6 billion-to-$960.4 billion. In 2021, retail sales were up 13.5% compared to 2020, due likely to the timing of the pandemic in 2020, at $899.3 billion, setting a new all-time record. What’s more, it said that over the last 10 years, holiday retail sales have seen an average increase of 4.9%, with the caveat that pandemic-related spending over the last couple of years represented a large portion...