WASHINGTON – Retail sales posted their ninth consecutive month of growth in June, as consumers continued to spend despite ongoing economic uncertainty, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions.
Total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, increased 0.33% on a seasonally adjusted monthly basis and 9.41% year over year. Core retail sales, which also exclude restaurants, rose 0.36% from May and were up 10.08% year over year.
“The summer shopping season got off to a strong start in June,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “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.”
NRF noted that the strong year-over-year gains were amplified by comparisons with weaker retail sales in June 2025. On a seasonally adjusted basis, total retail sales were up 4.26% year over year, while core sales increased 4.23%.
For the first half of 2026, unadjusted total retail sales rose 6.81% year over year, while core retail sales increased 6.84%.
Health and personal care stores posted another solid month, with sales up 0.5% from May and 12.87% year over year. General merchandise stores rose 0.29% month over month and 9.9% from a year ago, while grocery and beverage stores gained 0.25% month over month and 5.26% year over year.
Among other retail categories, sporting goods, hobby, music, and book stores led annual growth at 18.53%, followed by electronics and appliance stores at 14.16% and clothing and accessories stores at 13.65%.
Unlike the Census Bureau’s retail sales report, the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor is based on anonymized credit and debit card purchase data from Affinity Solutions and does not require monthly or annual revisions.
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