According to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, US clothing and accessories stores experienced a 1.75% rise month over month after seasonal adjustments.
The unseasoned figures are even more promising, with a 6.73% year-over-year increase in sales within these categories.
NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay said: “Consumer spending increased in July, driven by successful summer sales events held by many retailers and shoppers continuing to pull purchases forward ahead of tariffs.
“Month-over-month gains were sizeable against a weaker-than-normal June. We may be seeing growing inflationary impacts from tariffs since recent data shows price increases in commodity goods, particularly non-durables. Even with weaker job growth than many expected, consumers still have the ability to spend on household priorities as wages are growing above the rate of inflation.”
The Retail Monitor, which is powered by Affinity Solutions, revealed that retail sales (excluding automobiles and gasoline), climbed by 1.45% on a seasonally adjusted basis from the previous month and exhibited robust 5.89% unadjusted growth year over year for July.
This performance is set against a 3.19% year-over-year uptick in June.
Core retail sales, which further exclude restaurants alongside automobile dealers and gasoline stations, also showed positive momentum with a 1.55% month-over-month increase in July and a significant 5.93% rise on an annual basis.
The comprehensive assessment for the initial seven months of the year points to a 4.83% year-over-year surge in total sales, with core sales advancing by 5.07%.
The upward trajectory was consistent across most categories, with digital products, sporting goods stores, and general merchandise stores leading the charge.
The sporting goods sector, encompassing hobby, music, and bookstores, saw a seasonally adjusted monthly increase of 2.36% and an impressive unadjusted annual growth of 9.99%.
Furniture and home furnishing stores also enjoyed gains both monthly (0.98%) and yearly (1.53%).
