Retail Sales: 633.7B (Jan 2026)
The retail sales moved to 633.7B in Jan 2026, down 964.00 from 634.7B in Dec 2025. Year-over-year, the reading is up 18729.00 from 615.0B.
Retail Sales - Historical Chart
Advance Real Retail and Food Services Sales. Gray shaded areas indicate U.S. recessions.
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), Series RSXFS. Shaded areas = NBER recession dates. Updated 2026-03-09.
What the Jan 2026 Data Shows
At 633.7B, the retail sales in Jan 2026 is above the 10-year average of 508.5B by 125210.14. The reading has been mixed recently, fluctuating without a clear directional trend over the past 6 months.
FRED series RSXFS reports the advance estimate of retail and food services sales, one of the most closely watched economic indicators. Released about two weeks after each month ends, it provides the earliest read on consumer spending -- the engine of roughly 70% of U.S. GDP.
The report covers sales at retail establishments (stores, e-commerce, and mail order) and food services (restaurants and bars). It is reported in millions of dollars and is seasonally adjusted. The advance estimate is preliminary and gets revised in subsequent months.
Retail sales are a coincident indicator: they tell you what consumers are doing right now rather than what they will do in the future. Strong retail sales confirm a healthy economy; weak sales confirm a slowdown. The monthly volatility can be high, so the 3-month trend is more informative than any single reading.
What This Metric Measures
This page tracks the advance estimate of total retail and food services sales in the United States, reported monthly by the Census Bureau. The data comes from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED database, series RSXFS, updated monthly.
Historical Context
The all-time peak was 634.7B in Dec 2025. The all-time trough was 142.1B in Mar 1992. During COVID-19 in 2020, the reading hit 485.9B (Dec 2020). Year-over-year, the metric has moved 3.0%.
Why It Matters
For any business that sells to consumers -- from retailers to restaurants to e-commerce operations -- retail sales data is a direct read on your market. National trends set the baseline; your performance relative to the national trend tells you whether you are gaining or losing share.
Retail sales also drive the broader supply chain. Wholesalers, manufacturers, trucking companies, and warehouse operators all see their volumes track retail sales with a 1-2 month lag. A retail sales slowdown cascades through the economy.
What This Means for Business Owners
Understanding where this metric stands relative to historical norms helps business owners make better borrowing decisions. Metrics far from their 10-year average often signal turning points that affect the cost and availability of credit.
Retail Sales - Frequently Asked Questions
Advance retail and food services sales are 633.7B in Jan 2026, per FRED series RSXFS. This is a monthly total, seasonally adjusted.
Sales moved down from the prior month. The reading has been mixed recently, fluctuating without a clear directional trend over the past 6 months. Monthly retail sales can be volatile; the 3-month trend is more reliable.
Yes. E-commerce sales are included in the retail total. The Census Bureau also publishes a separate quarterly e-commerce report for more detail on the online vs. in-store split.
Retail sales are reported in nominal dollars. In periods of high inflation, nominal sales can grow even if consumers are buying fewer items. Adjusting for CPI gives real retail sales, a better measure of volume.
Employment, wages, consumer confidence, gas prices, and weather all play roles. Holiday periods (November-December) produce seasonal spikes that the adjustment factor smooths out.
FRED series RSXFS, from the Census Bureau's Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey. Released approximately 2 weeks after each month ends.
Related Data & Guides
Data sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Updated monthly when new data is released.