Economy

Learn more about the current state of retail and the role it plays in supporting the U.S. economy, including retail sales, monthly economic reports and more data from the National Retail Federation.

NRF State of Retail & the Consumer

March 20, 2024
Free virtual event

This event will explore the health of the American consumer and retail industry with leaders including NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay and NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz, Ph.D.

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Retail's economic impact

Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 52 million working Americans. Explore how retail impacts the U.S. economy and dive into retail stats for each state.

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Inflation

Explore the causes and impact of inflation on the retail industry, and see what policies could alleviate the burden on consumers and retailers.

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Monthly Economic Review

Each month, NRF reviews the state of the U.S. economy, including consumer sentiment, employment, housing, retail sales and other leading economic indicators.

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NRF Annual Forecast

The NRF annual forecast anticipates the retail sales growth for the year in conjunction with NRF’s annual State of Retail & the Consumer event, where retail industry leaders discuss the strength of the consumer economy and the future of retail.

Global Port Tracker

An evaluation of port data including container import volume, vessel services, congestion, gate operations and new transportation projects.

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Retail Sales

Monthly retail sales figures from NRF, excluding automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants.

More economic resources

Monthly Economic Review

Labor Market and Interest Rates Will Play Major Roles in 2024

What happens with the economy in 2024 could depend largely on the labor market and what the Fed does with interest.

Monthly Economic Review

Monthly Economic Review: February 2024

2023 closed the year with surprisingly strong growth.

Retail Sales

2023 Holiday Sales Grew 3.8% to Record $964.4 Billion

Census Bureau data shows core retail sales during the 2023 holiday season grew 3.8% to a record $964.4 billion.