Economy

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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.

State of Retail and the Consumer 2024
 
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.

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

More economic resources

Census Data Shows Retail Sales Bounced Back in February
 
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Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows retail sales expanded in February after a strong but flat January.
Read more
February CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor Numbers Show Consumers Continued Spending in February
 
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Retail sales continued to grow in February, building off solid gains from January.
Read more
What retailers want to hear in the 2024 State of the Union address
 
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Crime, economics and immigration are high on the list of industry priorities.
Read more