U.S. retail sales maintained their upward trend in May, although the pace of stocking up ahead of expected tariffs eased, according to the latest CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor powered by Affinity Solutions.
Total retail sales excluding autos and gasoline rose 0.49% month over month and 4.44% year over year in May. This marked a deceleration from April’s 0.72% monthly and 6.76% annual growth. Core retail sales — excluding restaurants, autos, and gasoline — were up 0.23% month over month and 4.2% year over year.
NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay noted, “The data for May indicates that the pull-forward in consumer demand ahead of tariffs is likely dissipating. While momentum remains, the nature of consumer spending is shifting as economic uncertainty increases.”
For the first five months of 2025, total retail sales grew 4.95% year over year, with core sales up 5.24%. Unlike survey-based data, the Retail Monitor draws on anonymised credit and debit card transactions and requires no revisions. Seven of nine retail categories posted annual gains in May, with digital products leading the surge at 28.04% year over year and 1.81% month over month.