General Merchandise Stores Sales (advance estimate; seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly
This series is part of the dataset: Advance retail sales (U.S. Census)
Download Full Dataset (.xlsx)Latest updates. According to seasonally-adjusted advance estimates for the US economy released by the Census Bureau, sales at general merchandise stores were 79.35 billion US dollars in May 2026, versus 79.03 in April 2026. This marks an increase of 0.40 percent.
Sample. There are 413 records overall in the monthly time series displayed in the figure above. The series covers the time period extending from January 1992 to May 2026.
History. Here’s a quick look at a few summary statistics we calculated on the entire sample: sales had an average value of 47.65 USD billion; they reached their highest level of 79.35 in May 2026; they hit a trough of 19.81 in January 1992.
Latest values
| Date | Value - US dollars (USD) million |
|---|---|
| 2026-03-31 | 79077.0 |
| 2026-04-30 | 79033.0 |
| 2026-05-31 | 79348.0 |
Suggestion. For our users' convenience, we organize indicators into worksheets and datasets. If you look below, you will find how we arranged further material linked to the statistics published here.
Not for investment purposes. Information accessible on this web site is not suitable for investment purposes or other financial decisions. Users should seek expert advice and perform their own independent due diligence before pledging money to any investment.
Series Metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Description | General Merchandise Stores Sales (advance estimate) |
| Country | United States |
| Economic concept | Flow |
| Data type | Nominal aggregate |
| Deflation method | Current prices |
| Seasonally adjusted | Yes |
| Rescaling | None |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Unit | US dollars (USD) million |
| Source | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Source type | National statistical agency |
| Data licence | Open Data |
| Measure type | Level |
Series in the same data set
Discover the other time series included in this data set.
Main aggregates SA
| Series Name | Observations | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade and Food Services Sales (advance estimate; seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Retail Trade and Food Services ex Auto Sales (advance estimate; seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Retail Trade and Food Services ex Gas Sales (advance estimate; seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Retail Trade and Food Services ex Auto and Gas Sales (advance estimate; seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Retail Trade Sales (advance estimate; seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Food Services and Drinking Places Sales (advance estimate; seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
Retail trade categories SA
Main aggregates NSA
| Series Name | Observations | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade and Food Services Sales (advance estimate; not seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Retail Trade and Food Services ex Auto Sales (advance estimate; not seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Retail Trade and Food Services ex Gas Sales (advance estimate; not seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Retail Trade and Food Services ex Auto and Gas Sales (advance estimate; not seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Retail Trade Sales (advance estimate; not seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Food Services and Drinking Places Sales (advance estimate; not seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
Retail trade categories NSA
Other (subcategories)
| Series Name | Observations | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto and Other Motor Vehicles Sales (advance estimate; seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Grocery Stores Sales (advance estimate; seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Auto and Other Motor Vehicles Sales (advance estimate; not seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |
| Grocery Stores Sales (advance estimate; not seasonally adjusted; USD million) - United States - Census - Monthly | 413 | 1992-01-31 | 2026-05-31 |