February retail sales grew more than 5% year-over-year despite economic headwinds and winter storms, with broad-based gains across most categories and especially strong growth in clothing, health and personal care, and general merchandise.
Key Takeaways
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Spending momentum holds up: Overall retail sales (excluding autos and gas) rose 6.24% year-over-year and 0.28% month-over-month in February, marking the fifth straight monthly increase, while core retail sales were up 5.87% year-over-year.
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Apparel and essentials lead growth: Clothing and accessories stores posted an 11.05% year-over-year gain, health and personal care stores rose 9.33%, and general merchandise stores climbed 7.77%.
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Category gains are broad but uneven: Most sectors saw year-over-year increases—sporting goods, grocery, electronics, furniture, and digital products all advanced—while building and garden supply stores were the notable laggard, down 5.75% year-over-year despite only a modest monthly decline.
