Syndicate content

Blog Category: Retail sales

New U.S. Census Bureau Data on Retail Sales and Business Inventories Show Solid Gains

Submitted on October 15, 2010 - 11:15am
Categories:

File photo of Secretary Locke seated at conference tableToday, the U.S. Census Bureau released retail sales data for September 2010 and data on manufacturing and trade inventories and sales for August 2010. Both retail sales and business inventories rose 0.6 percent, exceeding private-sector expectations. Monthly sales for retail and food services in September increased 7.3 percent from September 2009, and business inventories in August rose 4.7 percent from August 2009.

“Retails sales have shown strong growth over the last three months,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “This rising trend signals that consumer spending is expanding and that the recovery is broadening. The outlook for sustained growth remains positive, and this administration remains focused on continuing the economic turnaround that has now seen four straight quarters of GDP growth and nine straight months in which the private sector has added jobs.”  Statement  |  Report on retail sales  |  Report on manufacturing and trade

  • Share

Statement from Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on Retail Sales in April 2010

Submitted on May 14, 2010 - 10:50am
Categories:

Commerce's U.S. Census Bureau today released retail sales for April 2010.  Retail sales increased 0.4 percent, following a large 2.1‑percent rise in March.  Sales of building materials and garden equipment and supplies jumped 6.9 percent following a similarly large gain in March.  Private-sector analysts had expected a small decline of 0.1 percent in total sales in April.

“The rising trend in retail sales indicates that consumer spending continues to grow, underlining increasing confidence in the recovery,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said.  “The gains in consumer spending are yet another indication that the outlook for sustained economic growth is improving.”

Release
Report-PDF

  • Share

Secretary Locke Statement on March 2010 Retail Sales

Submitted on April 14, 2010 - 10:09am
Categories:
Locke gesturing with microphone in hand.

File photo

The Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau today released retail sales for March 2010. Retail sales increased 1.6 percent compared with an expected increase of 1.2 percent, and recent months were revised upwards. Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales rose 0.6 percent. Retail sales have grown 7.6 percent over the past year. “The strong growth in retail sales demonstrates consumers’ increasing confidence in the economic recovery,” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. (More) (Release)

  • Share

Statement from Secretary Locke on Retail Sales in February 2010

Submitted on March 12, 2010 - 11:23am
Categories:
Photo of Secretary Locke.

File Photo

The Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau today released retail sales data for February 2010. Retail sales grew an unexpected 0.3 percent compared with private-sector forecasts of a 0.3 percent decline. Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales grew 0.8 percent. Retail sales have grown 3.9 percent over the past year. (More) (Release)

  • Share

Secretary Locke Statement on January 2010 Retail Sales Numbers

Submitted on February 12, 2010 - 12:42pm
Categories:
Department of Commerce seal

The Commerce Department's U.S. Census Bureau today released retail sales data for January 2010. Retail sales increased 0.5 percent compared with an expected rise of 0.3 percent. Retail sales rose 7.6 percent at an annual rate in the fourth quarter, following a gain of 6.4 percent in the third quarter. (More) (Release)

  • Share

Secretary Locke Statement on December 2009 Retail Sales

Submitted on January 14, 2010 - 11:11am
Categories:
Locke speaking from lectern.

File photo

The Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau released retail sales data for December 2009. Retail sales declined 0.3 percent, following strong monthly gains in October and November. Sales rose 7.0 percent at an annual rate in the fourth quarter, following a gain of 6.4 percent in the third quarter. “While the overall trend is in the right direction, today’s retail sales data show that we have more work to do,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. (More) (Report)

  • Share

The 2009 Holiday Season

Submitted on December 23, 2009 - 6:30pm
Categories:
U.S. Department of Commerce Fourteenth Street main entrance with holiday wreaths and bows above doors. Click for larger image.

The holiday season is a time for gathering with friends and family to reflect and give thanks. At this time of year, the Department of Commerce’s U.S. Census Bureau presents holiday-related facts and figures from its data collection, including the details about mail, retail sales, toys, trees and decorations and much more. The Census Bureau projects the nation’s population at 308 million as we ring in the New Year 2010. Happy Holidays from the U.S. Department of Commerce! (More)

  • Share

Secretary Locke Statement on November 2009 Retail Sales Numbers

Submitted on December 11, 2009 - 10:00am
Categories:
U.S. Department of Commerce seal.

The Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau released retail sales data for November 2009. Retail sales rose 1.3 percent, compared with an expected rise of 0.7 percent. Motor vehicle sales rose 1.6 percent, the second advance following the September drop related to the end of the Cash-For-Clunkers program. Sales excluding the volatile motor vehicle and gasoline components rose 0.6 percent, the fourth consecutive advance. (More) (Release)

  • Share

Secretary Locke Statement on September 2009 Retail Sales

Submitted on October 14, 2009 - 10:00am
Categories:
Photo of Secretary Locke

File photo

The U.S. Commerce Department’s Census Bureau released retail sales for September 2009. Retail sales fell 1.5 percent, primarily reflecting a 10.4 percent decline in motor vehicle sales. The drop in total sales was smaller than the decrease of 2.1 percent expected by private analysts. Gasoline sales rose 1.1 percent, and sales excluding motor vehicles and gasoline increased 0.4 percent. In the third quarter as a whole, total retail sales rose 6.4 percent at an annual rate, and sales excluding the volatile motor vehicle and gasoline components rose 0.6 percent. (More) (Release)

  • Share

Statement from Secretary Locke on August 2009 New Residential Construction

Submitted on September 17, 2009 - 9:56am
Categories:
Photo of Secretary Locke.

File Photo

The Commerce Department’s U.S. Bureau of the Census released data on new residential construction in August 2009. Permits rose 2.7 percent in August and have increased 16.3 percent from their low in April, after plummeting a total of 78.0 percent between September 2005 and April 2009. Starts have followed a similar pattern, increasing 1.5 percent in August. “The upturn in housing activity and the recent gains in retail sales and industrial production demonstrate considerable progress toward recovery. More stimulus spending in the coming months should help spread growth to other sectors of the economy,” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. (More) (Release)

  • Share