Archive for category: Pet Market Distribution Channels

By 2021, the market had generally recovered from the impact of the pandemic. In 2022, we were hit by extreme inflation, with rates higher than we have seen in 40 years. Obviously, this can affect retail sales, so we’ll continue to track the retail market with data from two reports provided by the Census Bureau and factor in the CPI from US BLS.

The Census Bureau Reports are the Monthly and the Advance Retail Sales Reports. Both are derived from sales data gathered from retailers across the U.S. and are published monthly at the same time. The Advance Report has a smaller sample size so it can be published quickly – about 2 weeks after month end. The Monthly Final Report includes data from all respondents, so it takes longer to compile the data – about 6 weeks. Although the sample size for the Advance report is smaller, the results over the years have proven it to be statistically accurate with the final monthly reports. The biggest difference is that the full sample in the Final report allows us to “drill” a little deeper into the retail channels.

We begin with the Final Report for December and then go to the Advance Report for January. Our focus is comparing to last year but also 2019. We’ll show both actual and the “real” change in $ as we factor inflation into the data.

Both reports include the following:

• Total Retail, Restaurants, Auto, Gas Stations and Relevant Retail (removing Restaurants, Auto and Gas)
• Individual Channel Data – This will be more detailed in the “Final” reports, and we fill focus on Pet Relevant Channels

The information will be presented in detailed charts to facilitate visual comparison between groups/channels of:

• Current Month change – % & $ vs previous month
• Current Month change – % & $ vs same month a year ago
  • Current Month Real change – % vs same month in a year ago factoring in inflation
• Current Annual change – % & $ for 2022 vs 2021. January 2023 will be compared to 2022 & 2021
  • Current Annual Real change % for 2022 vs 2021. January 2023 will show real change vs 2022 & 2021
• Current Annual change 2022 vs 2019 – % & $. January 2023 will also be compared to January 2019.
  • Current Annual Real change 2022 vs 2019 – % factoring in inflation. Real Change also for January 2023 vs 2019.
• Monthly & Annual $ & CPIs which are targeted by channel will also be shown. (Details are at the end of the report)

First, the December Final. All but Gas Stations were up from last month and all were up for December & Y/E vs 2021. Considering inflation, only Relevant Retail was down for the month but for year-end numbers, only Restaurants were up. Here is the December data for the major retail groups. (All $ are Actual, Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The December Final is $1.2B less than the Advance. Restaurants had the only positive: +$1.2B; : Auto: -1.2B; Gas Stations: -$0.3B; Relevant Retail: -$0.8B. Sales are up from last month and consumers continue to spend more vs 2021. However, the “real” numbers vs 2021 tell a slightly different story. All but Relevant Retail are really up for the month but only Restaurants are really up year-end vs 2021. Auto & Gas Stations also finished 2022 really down vs 2019. The inflation impact on Relevant Retail is concerning. Their Real YTD $ales vs 2021 were negative for 9 straight months and they finished -$1.2%. They do have the best performance since 2019 as 59.7% of their 31.8% growth is “Real”.

Now, let’s see how some Key Pet Relevant channels did in December

Overall– 10 of 11 were up from November. Vs Dec 2021, 9 reported more $ but only 2 were really up. In Y/E vs 2021, 10 had increases but only 3 were real. Vs 2019, Disc Dept Stores are again the only real negative. In Sep/Oct all were up.

• Building Material Stores – Sales are down vs Nov for Home Ctr/Hdwe, but up 6.6% Y/E vs 21. Farm stores are +5.4% vs Nov but +7.5% vs Dec 2021. Y/E sales are +6.1%. The Bldg/Matl group had a Y/E (annual) inflation rate of 10.9% which has produced negative real numbers. The pandemic caused consumers to focus on their homes which has produced sales growth of 36.5% since 2019. Importantly, 54% of this lift was real, primarily because the bulk of the lift came from 20>21, prior to the inflation wave. Avg Growth Rate: HomeCtr/Hdwe: 10.8%, Real: 6.0%; Farm: 12.3%, Real: 7.7%
• Food & Drug – Both channels are truly essential. Except for the pandemic food binge buying, they tend to have smaller fluctuations in $. However, they are radically different in inflation. The Y/E rate for Grocery products is 4 times higher than for Drugs/Med products. Drug Store $ are up from November but really negative vs 2021. However, 88% of their growth since 2019 is real. The Real Sales for Supermarkets are down for the month & Y/E. Also, only 14% of their growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth Rate: Supermarkets: +7.0%, Real: +1.0%; Drug Stores: +4.9%, Real: +4.4%.
• Sporting Goods Stores – They also benefited from the pandemic in that consumers turned to self-entertainment, especially sports & outdoor activities. Sales are up 39.8% from November and up vs 2021. Y/E sales are 1.7% above 2021. Their current inflation rate is 3.5% which is down from 7.5% in April but Y/E it is 5.4%. It was even higher in 20>21, +6.5%. However, 72% of their 48% lift since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth Rate was: +14.0%; Real: +10.4%.
• Gen Mdse Stores – All channels were up from November and only Discount Dept Stores were down for the month and Y/E vs 2021. All real numbers for all channels monthly and Y/E vs 2021 are negative. Disc. Dept Stores were hurting before COVID and their Y/E sales are “really” down vs 2019. The other channels have 36% real growth. Avg Growth Rate: SupCtr/Club: 5.9%, Real: 2.0%; $/Value Strs: +7.9%, Real: +4.2%; Disc. Dept.: +2.3%, Real: -0.5%
• Office, Gift & Souvenir Stores – Their recovery didn’t start until the spring of 2021. Sales are up 41% from November and their 2022 sales growth has been strong enough to make them positive in all measurements vs 2021 & 2019. They have made remarkable progress. Avg Growth Rate: +3.5%, Real: +0.8%
• Internet/Mail Order – Sales are up 7.2% from November and set a new all-time record. They are positive for all other measurements, but their Y/E growth rate is only 55% of their average since 2019. However, 89% of their 75.8% growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth Rates: +20.7%, Real: +18.7%. As expected, they are by far the growth leaders since 2019.
• A/O Miscellaneous – This is a group of specialty retailers. Pet Stores are 22>24% of total $. In May 2020 they began their recovery which reached a record level in 2021 as annual sales reached $100B for the first time. Their sales dipped in January, July, Sept>Nov, then rose in December but were really down vs Dec 21. 2022. Y/E measurements are very positive and they are by far the $ increase leaders over 2021. Plus, 85% of their 55.5% growth since 2019 is real. Average Growth Rate is: +15.8%, Real: +13.7%. They are 2^nd in growth since 2019 to the internet. I’m sure Pet Stores are helping.

There is no doubt that high inflation is an important factor in Retail. In actual $, 9 channels reported increases in monthly $ and 10 in Y/E $ over 2021. When you factor in inflation, the number with any “real” growth falls to 2 for monthly & 3 for Y/E. This is a clear indication of the ongoing strong impact of inflation at the retail channel level. Recent data indicates that Inflation again slowed a little. Let’s look at the impact on the Advance Retail $ales for January.

We have had memorable times since 2019, including the 2 biggest monthly drops in history but a lot of positives in the Pandemic recovery. Total Retail reached $700B in a month for the first time and broke the $7T barrier in 2021. Relevant Retail was also strong as annual sales reached $4T in 2021 and all big groups set annual $ales records. In 2022 radical inflation was a big factor with the largest increase in 40 years. At first this reduces the amount of product sold but not $ spent. Total Retail hit $8T and all groups again set new annual records in 2022. As expected, all groups were down from December, but all were up vs January 2022. Plus, in the amount of product sold, only Relevant Retail was down vs 2022 but Auto & Gas Stations were down vs 2021. Gas Stations are also still really down vs 2019.

Overall – Inflation Reality January inflation vs 2022 fell below the $ increase rate for all but Relevant Retail. However, you see the impact of 2022 inflation as real sales are down for Gas Stations and Auto vs 2021 and only minimally up for Relevant & Total Retail. Restaurants were down vs Dec, but up strongly in all measurements vs 2022, 2021 & 2019. There is a slight positive. For the 1^st time in 9 months real sales vs 2021 are up vs 2021 for Total & Relevant Retail.

Total Retail – Every month since June 2020 has set a monthly sales record. December 2022 $ were $748.2B, a new all-time record. 2022 was somewhat normal as sales dipped in September then grew in Oct>Dec before falling in January. January $ are -16.2% vs December, +6.2%% vs Jan 2022, +21.0% vs 2021 & +37.6% vs 2019. However, when you factor in inflation, only 43% of 19>23 sales growth is real but that’s better than 22>23: 33% and 21>23: 17%. Avg 2019>23 Growth: +8.3%, Real: +3.8%. Even as inflation slows, it continues to have a cumulative impact.

Restaurants – They were hit hard by the pandemic and didn’t truly start to recover until March 2021. However, they reached a record $876B in 2021. Sales continued to grow in 2022, setting an all-time monthly record of $90.8B in October and exceeding $1T in 2022 for the 1^st time. They are the only big group that is positive in all measurements vs 2022, 2021 & 2019. Inflation slowed to 8.1% for January from 8.2% last month. However, it is still 14.9% vs 2021 and 19.6% vs 2019. 62.8% of their 52.8% growth since 2019 is real. Avg 2019>23 Growth: +11.2%, Real: +7.4%. They only account for 13.8% of Total Retail $ales, but their performance helps to improve the overall retail numbers.

Auto (Motor Vehicle & Parts Dealers) – This group actively worked to overcome the stay-at-home attitude with great deals and a lot of advertising. They finished 2020 up 1% vs 2019 and hit a record $1.48T in 2021. In 2022 sales got on a rollercoaster – Jan down, Feb/Mar up, Apr>May down, then flipping monthly with January being down. They had 4 down months in actual sales which are the only reported sales negatives by any big group in 2021>2022. This is bad but their real Y/E sales numbers were much worse, down -8.2% vs 2021, the worst of any group. 2023 has started off a little better. Sales are up vs 2022, 2021 & 2019. Plus, real sales are only down vs 2021. Avg 2019>23 Growth: +7.3%, Real: +1.7%. Prices have deflated for 2 straight months. Real Sales vs 2019 are positive for the 1^st time since April 2022.

Gas Stations – Gas Stations were also hit hard. If you stay home, you drive less and need less gas. This group started recovery in March 2021 and reached a record $584B in 2022. Sales got on a rollercoaster in 2022 but have trended down Nov>Jan. They have fallen to 2^nd place behind restaurants with the biggest increases vs 2022, 2021 and 2019 but it is still not reality. Gasoline inflation has slowed. However, it is still 42.7% vs 2021. Monthly real sales are again positive, but sales are still really down -3.2% vs 2021 and -5.4% vs 2019. Avg 2019>23 Growth: +9.0%, Real: -1.4%. The numbers show the cumulative impact of inflation. Consumers spend more but buy less, even less than they bought 4 years ago.

Relevant Retail – Less Auto, Gas and Restaurants – This group accounts for 60+% of Total Retail $. It has a variety of channels, so they took many different paths through the pandemic. However, their only down month was April 2020. They finished 2020, up +7.1% and 2021 got even better as they reached a record $4.50T. They have led the way in Total Retail’s recovery which became widespread across the channels. Sales went on an up/down roller coaster in 2022. However, all months in 2022 set new records with December reaching a new all-time high, $481B, and an annual record of $4.81T. January had its normal drop, but real sales were also down vs 2022 and only 7% of the 21>23 growth is real. From 2019>23 sales grew 35.6% and 55% was real. This shows that inflation is a cumulative problem that began in 2022. Their Avg 2019>23 Growth: +7.9%, Real: +4.6%. The performance of this huge group is critically important. This is where America shops. Real sales are down 2.1% so consumers bought less than in 2022. They just paid more. That’s not good.

Inflation is slowing slightly but the cumulative impact is still there. Relevant Retail is now really down vs last year for 11 straight months. All other groups are up. However, when you check the real growth vs 2021, Auto & Gas Stations are still “really down” and Total & Relevant Retail have negligible real growth. Restaurants are by far the best performers. For Relevant Retail, we are still in Inflation Phase II. Consumer spending grows but the amount bought declines. Let’s hope that we can continue to avoid Phase III, when consumer spending drops.

Here’s a more detailed look at January by Key Channels

• Relevant Retail: Avg Growth Rate: +7.9%, Real: +4.6%. All 11 channels were down from December but 10 were up vs 2022 & 2021. 7 were really up vs 2022 & 6 vs 2021. The negative impact of inflation is less but still there in the real data.
• All Dept Stores – This group was struggling before the pandemic hit them hard. They began recovery in March 2020. They are down 47% from December but up vs January 2022 & 2021 & 2019. However, they are really down vs 2022 & 2019. Avg 2019>23 Growth: +1.1%, Real: -1.4%.
• Club/SuprCtr/$ – They fueled a big part of the overall recovery because they focus on value which has broad consumer appeal. Inflation is still a big factor in their numbers. Sales are down from December but up vs 22 & 21. Their real sales are all down vs 22 & 21 and only 38% of their 25.4% lift from 2019 is real. Avg 19>23 Growth: +5.8%, Real: +2.3%.
• Grocery- These stores depend on frequent purchases, so except for the binge buying in 2020, their changes are usually less radical. Inflation has hit them hard. $ are down from December. The increases vs 22 & 21 are strong, but inflation is stronger. Real sales are down for both and only 2.4% of the growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +5.8%, Real: +0.2%.
• Health/Drug Stores – Many stores in this group are essential, but consumers visit far less frequently than Grocery stores. Sales are down from December but are up in all other measurements vs 22, 21 & 19. Their inflation rate is low so 76% of their 17.7% growth from 2019 is real. Avg 2019>23 Growth: +4.2%, Real: +3.2%.
• Clothing and Accessories – They were nonessential, and clothes mattered less when you stayed home. That changed in March 21 with strong growth through 22, especially December. January sales fell -52.5% but for the 2^nd straight month all other all measurements are positive. 76% of their 2019>23 growth is real. Avg 2019>23 Growth: +4.4%, Real:+3.4%
• Home Furnishings – In mid-2020 consumers’ focus turned to their homes and furniture became a priority. Inflation has slowed but was very high in 2022. Sales are down from December but up vs 22, 21 & 19. However, their real numbers are still down vs 2021 and only 18% of their growth since 2019 is real. Avg 2019>23 Growth: +5.3%, Real: +1.0%.
• Electronic & Appliances – This channel has many problems. Sales fell in Apr>May of 2020 and didn’t reach 2019 levels until March 2021. Sales are down in all measurements but real sales vs 2022. This only happened because of an 8.0% deflation rate from 22>23. Avg 2019>23 Growth: -3.3%, Real: -1.6%.
• Building Material, Farm & Garden & Hardware –They truly benefited from the consumers’ focus on home. The 2022 spring lift ended in May. Sales fell in Nov>Jan after a slight lift in October. Sales are up vs 22, 21 & 19, but when you factor in double-digit inflation, the real amount sold is down vs 22 & 21. Also, only 22% of their strong 30.5% sales growth since 2019 is real. In December 2022, it was 54%. Their Avg 2019>23 Growth is: +6.9%, Real: +1.6%.
• Sporting Goods, Hobby and Book Stores – Consumers turned their attention to recreation and Sporting Goods stores sales took off. Book & Hobby Stores recovered more slowly. January $ fell -42.4% from December but are now positive in all other measurements. Inflation in this group is lower than most groups and most comes from Sporting Goods. 77% of their 39.0% growth since 2019 is real. Avg 2019>23 Growth: +8.6%, Real: +6.8%.
• All Miscellaneous Stores – Pet Stores have been a key part of the strong and growing recovery of this group. They finished 2020 +0.9% but sales took off in March 21 and have continued to grow. Sales are -18.6% from December but up for all other measurements. In 2022 they had the biggest increase vs 2021 and vs 2019 they were 2^nd only to NonStore. In 2023 they are 3^rd vs 2022 but 77% of their 45.2% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +9.8%, Real: +7.8%.
• NonStore Retailers – 90% of their volume comes from Internet/Mail Order/TV. The pandemic accelerated online spending. They ended 2020 +21.4%. The growth continued in 2021 as sales exceeded $100B for the 1^st time and they broke the $1 Trillion barrier for the year. Their growth slowed significantly in 2022 and now 2023 but all measurements vs 22, 21 & 19 are positive. 87% of their 81.2% increase since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth: +16.0%, Real: +14.3%.

Note: Almost without exception, online sales by brick ‘n mortar retailers are recorded with their regular store sales.

Recap – The Retail recovery from the pandemic was largely driven by Relevant Retail and by the end of 2021 it had become very widespread. In 2022, there was a new challenge, the worst inflation in 40 years. Overall, and in most product categories it has slowed in Jul>Jan. On the surface, the Retail impact is almost invisible. Sales in the total market and in the Relevant Retail group set new records in 2022 but the growth rate slowed and the amount purchased fell, Phase II of strong inflation. December was again the peak of the Holiday Shopping season and monthly sales. As expected, sales fell across the board in January. Except for Relevant Retail the amount of product sold by the big groups in January was more than in 2022. This was not widespread among the individual retail channels. It was largely due to the biggest channels – Grocery, General Merchandise and Bldg/Hdwe/Farm. While inflation has slowed in most product categories, it is still very high for Food at Home and Tools/Hdwe. This had a big impact on real sales in specific channels and Relevant Retail, which has now been “really” negative vs last year for 11 straight months. Will this continue?

Finally, here are the details and updated inflation rates for the CPIs used to calculate the impact of inflation on retail groups and channels. This includes special aggregate CPIs created with the instruction and guidance of personnel from the US BLS. I also researched data from the last Economic Census to review the share of sales by product category for the various channels to help in selecting what expenditures to include in specific aggregates. Of course, none of these specially created aggregates are 100% accurate but they are much closer than the overall CPI or available aggregates.

Monthly CPI changes of 0.2% or more are highlighted. (Green = lower; Pink = higher)

I’m sure that this list raises some questions. Here are some answers to some of the more obvious ones.

1. Why is the group for Non-store different from the Internet?
   1. Non-store is not all internet. It also includes Fuel Oil Dealers, the non-motor fuel Energy Commodity.
2. Why is there no Food at home included in Non-store or Internet?
   1. Online Grocery purchasing is becoming popular but almost all is from companies whose major business is brick ‘n mortar. These online sales are recorded under their primary channel.
3. 6 Channels have the same CPI aggregate but represent a variety of business types.
   1. They also have a wide range of product types. Rather than try to build aggregates of a multitude of small expenditure categories, it seemed better to eliminate the biggest, influential groups that they don’t sell. This method is not perfect, but it is certainly closer than any existing aggregate.
4. Why are Grocery and Supermarkets only tied to the Grocery CPI?
   1. According to the Economic Census, 76% of their sales comes from Grocery products. Grocery Products are the driver. The balance of their sales comes from a collection of a multitude of categories.
5. What about Drug/Health Stores only being tied to Medical Commodities.
   1. An answer similar to the one for Grocery/Supermarkets. However, in this case Medical Commodities account for over 80% of these stores’ total sales.
6. Why do SuperCtrs/Clubs and $ Stores have the same CPI?
   1. While the Big Stores sell much more fresh groceries, Groceries account for ¼ of $ Store sales. Both Channels generally offer most of the same product categories, but the actual product mix is different.

By 2021, the market had generally recovered from the impact of the pandemic. In 2022, we are being hit by extreme inflation, with rates higher than we have seen in 40 years. Obviously, this can affect retail sales, so we’ll continue to track the retail market with data from two reports provided by the Census Bureau and factor in the CPI from US BLS.

The Census Bureau Reports are the Monthly and the Advance Retail Sales Reports. Both are derived from sales data gathered from retailers across the U.S. and are published monthly at the same time. The Advance Report has a smaller sample size so it can be published quickly – about 2 weeks after month end. The Monthly Final Report includes data from all respondents, so it takes longer to compile the data – about 6 weeks. Although the sample size for the Advance report is smaller, the results over the years have proven it to be statistically accurate with the final monthly reports. The biggest difference is that the full sample in the Final report allows us to “drill” a little deeper into the retail channels.

We begin with the Final Report for October and then go to the Advance Report for November. Our focus is comparing 2022 to 2021 but also YTD 2019. We’ll show both actual and the “real” change in $ as we factor inflation into the data.

Both reports include the following:

• Total Retail, Restaurants, Auto, Gas Stations and Relevant Retail (removing Restaurants, Auto and Gas)
• Individual Channel Data – This will be more detailed in the “Final” reports, and we fill focus on Pet Relevant Channels

The information will be presented in detailed charts to facilitate visual comparison between groups/channels of:

• Current Month change – % & $ vs previous month
• Current Month change – % & $ vs same month in 2021
  • Current Month Real change – % vs same month in 2021 factoring in inflation
• Current YTD change – % & $ vs 2021
  • Current YTD Real change – % vs 2021 factoring in inflation
• Current YTD change vs 2019 – % & $
  • Current Real change YTD vs 2019 – % factoring in inflation
• Monthly & YTD $ & CPIs which are targeted by channel will also be shown. (CPI details are at the end of the report)

First, the October Final. All groups were up from last month and for October and YTD vs 2021. However, factoring inflation into the data, only Restaurants and Gas Stations were up for the month and in YTD $, only Restaurants were up. Here is the October data for the major retail groups. (All $ are Actual, Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The October Final is $0.4B more than the Advance. Relevant Retail had the only negative: -$0.9B; Restaurants: +0.1B; Auto: +$0.6B; Gas Stations: +$0.6B. Sales are up from last month and consumers continue to spend more vs 2021. However, the “real” numbers tell a slightly different story. Only Restaurants and Gas Stations (just barely) are really up for the month but again only Restaurants are really up in YTD $. Auto & Gas Stations also remain really down YTD vs 2019. The inflation impact on Relevant Retail is significant and concerning. Their Real YTD $ales vs 2021 have been negative for 7 months. They do have the best performance since 2019 as 61.4% of their 32.1% growth is “Real”.

Now, let’s see how some Key Pet Relevant channels did in October

Overall – 9 of 11 were up from September. Vs Oct 2021, 10 reported more $ but only 6 were really up. In YTD vs 2021, again 10 reported increases but only 4 were real. Vs 2019, for the 2^nd consecutive month, all were “really” up.

• Building Material Stores – Sales are flat vs Sept for Home Ctr/Hdwe but up 7.8% YTD vs 21. Farm stores are +11.4% vs Sept but only +5.8% YTD vs 2021. The Bldg/Matl group has a YTD inflation rate of 11.0% which has produced negative real numbers. The pandemic caused consumers to focus on their homes which has produced sales growth of 36.7% since 2019. Importantly, 57% of this lift was real, primarily because the bulk of the lift came from 20>21, prior to the inflation wave. Avg Growth Rate: HomeCtr/Hdwe: 10.9%, Real: 6.4%; Farm: 12.3, Real: 7.9%
• Food & Drug – Both channels are truly essential. Except for the pandemic food binge buying, they tend to have smaller fluctuations in $. However, they are radically different in inflation. The YTD rate for Grocery products is 4 times higher than for Drugs/Med products. Drug Store $ are now positive in all measurements and 88% of their growth since 2019 is real. The Real Sales for Supermarkets are down for the month & YTD. Also, only 14% of their growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth Rate: Supermarkets: +6.7%, Real: +1.0%; Drug Stores: +4.7%, Real: +4.2%.
• Sporting Goods Stores – They also benefited from the pandemic in that consumers turned to self-entertainment, especially sports & outdoor activities. Sales are up only 0.02% from September but 2022 YTD sales are still 1.9% above 2021. Their current inflation rate is 3.0% which is down from 7.5% in April but YTD it is still 5.6%. It was even higher in 20>21, +6.5%. However, 71% of their 48% lift since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth Rate was: +14.1%; Real: +10.4%.
• Gen Mdse Stores – All channels were up from September and only Discount Dept Stores were down for the month and YTD vs 2021. All real numbers for all channels monthly and YTD vs 2021 are negative. Disc. Dept Stores were hurting before COVID but their YTD sales are again “really” up vs 2019. The other channels have 38% real growth. Avg Growth Rate: SupCtr/Club: 5.9%, Real: 2.2%; $/Value Strs: +7.7%, Real: +4.1%; Disc. Dept.: +2.8%, Real: +0.1%
• Office, Gift & Souvenir Stores – Their recovery didn’t start until the spring of 2021. Sales are up 24% from September. The big news is that their sales growth in 2022 has been strong enough that for the 1^st time they are positive in all measurements vs 2021 and vs 2019. They have made remarkable progress. Avg Growth Rate: +3.6%, Real: +0.9%
• Internet/Mail Order – The growth of the “hero” of the Pandemic is slowing. Sales are up from September and for all other measurements. Their YTD growth rate is only half of their average since 2019, but 89% of their 78.4% growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth Rates: +21.3%, Real: +19.3%. As expected, they are by far the growth leaders since 2019.
• A/O Miscellaneous – This is a group of specialty retailers. Pet Stores are 22>24% of total $. In May 2020 they began their recovery which reached a record level by December 2021 as annual sales reached $100B for the first time. Their sales dipped in January, July, September & October but all measurements have been positive for every other month. In 2022, they are by far the Sales increase leaders over 2021. Plus, 86% of their 58.8% growth since 2019 is real. Average Growth Rate is: +16.7%, Real: +14.6%. They are 2^nd in growth since 2019 to the internet. I’m sure Pet Stores are helping.

There is no doubt that high inflation is an important factor in Retail. In actual $, all channels reported increases in monthly and YTD sales over 2021. When you factor in inflation, the number with any “real” growth falls to 6 for monthly & 4 for YTD. This is a clear indication of the ongoing strong impact of inflation at the retail channel level. Recent data indicates that Inflation again slowed a little. Let’s look at the impact on the Advance Retail $ numbers for November.

We have had memorable times since 2019. Some big negatives, including the 2 biggest monthly drops in history but a lot of positives in the Pandemic recovery. Total Retail reached $600B in a month for the first time and broke the $7 Trillion barrier in 2021.  Relevant Retail was also strong as annual sales reached $4T and all big groups set annual $ales records in 2021. In 2022 radical inflation is a big factor with the largest increase in 40 years. At first this reduces the amount of product sold but not $ spent. Only Relevant Rtl & Total were up from Oct., but all groups were up vs November & YTD 2021. However, in the amount of product sold: Monthly: All are down but Restaurants & Gas. YTD: All are down but Restaurants

Overall – Inflation Reality Inflation vs 2021 continues to beat the $ increase rate. Only Rel. Retl is up vs October, but all are up for the month and YTD vs 2021. Restaurants are really positive vs 2021. Gas Stations are really up for the month vs 2021 but all others are down. The real YTD sales vs 2021 are down for all but Restaurants for the 8th straight month.

Total Retail – Every month in 2022 has set a monthly sales record. November $ are $697B, the 5th highest of all time. 2022 has become somewhat normal as sales dipped in September then grew in October & November. November $ are +1.2% vs October but are up 6.5% vs November 2021 and 9.6% vs YTD 2021. However, when you factor in inflation, monthly sales are down -0.5% and YTD sales are down for the 9th consecutive month. Plus, only 39% of the 32% growth since 2019 is real. The Avg Growth Rate is: +9.7%, Real: +4.1%. Even as inflation slows, it continues to have an impact.

Restaurants – They were hit hard by the pandemic and didn’t truly start to recover until March 2021. Sales in the last 9 months of 2021 exceeded $70B and 2021 was the biggest year in history, $876B. January sales fell from December but then turned up, setting new all-time monthly records in March>May. $ fell in June, set a new record in July and then fell again in Aug>Sep. October sales rose and hit $90B for the 1^st time but fell in November. They are the only big group that is positive in all measurements vs 2021 & 2019. Inflation is high at 8.4% for November and 7.5% YTD and contrary to the trend, it is not improving. 56.5% of their 32.4% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth Rate: +9.8%, Real: +5.8%. They only account for 12.7% of Total Retail $ales, but their performance helps to improve the overall retail numbers.

Auto (Motor Vehicle & Parts Dealers) – This group actively worked to overcome the stay-at-home attitude with great deals and a lot of advertising. They finished 2020 up 1% vs 2019 and hit a record $1.48T in 2021. In 2022 sales got on a rollercoaster – Jan down, Feb/Mar up, Apr>May down, then flipping monthly with November being down. They have 4 down months in actual sales which are the only reported sales negatives by any big group vs 2021. This is bad but their real YTD sales numbers are much worse. Extremely high inflation has pushed their real YTD sales down -9.1% vs 2021, the worst of any group. Plus, their 23.8% growth since 2019 is really down -11.8%. Avg Growth: +7.4%, Real: -4.1%. Inflation has slowed markedly in the last 6 months. It is likely that the 4 drops in $ales were tied to high inflation.

Gas Stations – Gas Stations were also hit hard. If you stay home, you drive less and obviously need less gas. This group started recovery in March 2021 and reached a record $584B for the year. Sales fell Jan>Feb, turned up Mar>Jun, fell in Jul>Sep, up in Oct then down in Nov. They have the biggest increases vs 2021 and 2019 but it is not reality. Gasoline inflation has slowed but is still high at 10.8% and 35.5% YTD. Monthly real sales are now positive, but YTD sales are still really down -2.8% vs 2021 and -3.1% vs 2019. Avg Growth Rate: +14.3%, Real: -1.1%.The YTD numbers show a big impact of inflation. Consumers spend more but buy less, even less than they bought 3 years ago.

Relevant Retail – Less Auto, Gas and Restaurants – This the “core” of U.S. retail and accounts for 60+% of Total Retail Spending. There are a variety of channels in this group, so they took a number of different paths through the pandemic. However, their only down month was April 2020. They finished 2020, up +7.1% and 2021 got even better as they reached a record $4.50T. They have led the way in Total Retail’s recovery which became widespread across the channels. Sales fell in Jan>Feb, then went on an up/down roller coaster from Mar>Nov with November up 6.8%. All months in 2022 set new records but their YTD increase is 28% below their 9.8% avg growth since 2019. Now, we’ll look at the impact of inflation. 60.9% of their 32.2% growth since 2019 is real. However real sales vs 2021 are down -2.3% for the month and -1.0% YTD. This shows that inflation is only a 2022 problem. Their Avg Growth Rate: +9.8%, Real: +6.1%. The performance of this huge group is critically important. This is where America shops. Real YTD sales are down 1% so the amount of products that consumers bought in 2022 is less than in 2021. They just paid more. That’s not good.

Inflation is slowing slightly but the impact is still there. All groups but Restaurants have no YTD real growth vs 2021 and Auto & Gas Stations are still “really down” vs YTD 2019. We’ve now had 9 straight months of real YTD drops for Total Retail and 8 straight for Relevant Retail. We are still in Inflation Phase II. Consumer spending grows but the amount bought declines. Auto sales in 4 of the last 9 months were down vs 2021, but inflation slowed so they have avoided Phase III, when consumer spending drops. Inflation also fell for Gas Stations so their monthly real sales are now positive.

Here’s a more detailed look at November by Key Channels

• Relevant Retail: Avg Growth Rate: +9.8%, Real: +6.1%. 8 of 11 channels were up from October and 8 were up vs October 2021, but 10 were up YTD vs 2021. The negative impact of inflation is less but still there in the “real” data.
• All Dept Stores – This group was struggling before the pandemic hit them hard. They began recovery in March 2020. They are up from October but down vs November 2021. Their YTD reported numbers have been positive vs 2019 since April but they are still “really” down in all measurements vs both 2019 & 2021. Avg Growth: +0.2%, Real: -2.7%.
• Club/SuprCtr/$ – They fueled a big part of the overall recovery because they focus on value which has broad consumer appeal. Inflation is a big factor in their current numbers. Sales are up from October and vs 2021. Their real numbers are all down vs 2021 and only 37.1% of their 19.7% lift from 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +6.2%, Real: +2.4%.
• Grocery- These stores depend on frequent purchases, so except for the binge buying in 2020, their changes are usually less radical. Inflation has hit them hard. $ are up from October. The increases vs 2021 are strong but inflation is stronger. Real sales are down and only 12.9% of the growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +6.8%, Real: +0.9%.
• Health/Drug Stores – Many stores in this group are essential, but consumers visit far less frequently than Grocery stores. Sales are down slightly from October but are ahead in all measurements vs 2021 – actual & “real”. Their inflation rate is low so 89% of their 16.0% growth from 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +5.1%, Real: +4.5%.
• Clothing and Accessories – They were nonessential, and clothes mattered less when you stayed home. That changed in March 2021 with strong growth through May 2022. November sales are +16.1% from October and +1.7% from 21 but real sales are down -1.8%. YTD $ are up 6.8% and 86% of their growth from 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +5.1%, Real: +4.4%.
• Home Furnishings – Sales dipped Mar>May in 2020. Then as consumers’ focus turned to their homes, furniture became a priority. Inflation has been high. Monthly Sales are -3.3% vs 2021 and only up 1.0% YTD vs 2021. All of their real numbers vs 2021 are very negative. Only 12.5% of their growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +6.0%, Real: +0.8%.
• Electronic & Appliances – This channel has many problems. Sales fell in Apr>May of 2020 and didn’t reach 2019 levels until March 2021. Sales are up from October but down vs 2021. Deflation pushed their real November sales +2.6%. Sales are even down vs 2019, but deflation kept their “real” YTD sales up +0.02% vs 2019. Avg Growth: -0.7%, Real: +0.01%.
• Building Material, Farm & Garden & Hardware –They truly benefited from the consumers’ focus on home. This year’s spring lift ended in May. Sales fell in November after a slight lift in October. Monthly & YTD sales are up vs 2021, but when you factor in double-digit inflation, the real amount sold is down for both measurements. However, 55.7% of their strong 36.8% sales growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +11.0%, Real: +6.6%.
• Sporting Goods, Hobby and Book Stores – Consumers turned their attention to recreation and Sporting Goods stores sales took off. Book & Hobby Stores recovered more slowly. November $ jumped +17.3% from October and are ahead of 2021, monthly & YTD. However, real YTD $ are down again vs 2021. Inflation in this group is lower than most groups and most comes from Sporting Goods. 78.7% of their 39.0% growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth is: +11.6%, Real: +9.3%.
• All Miscellaneous Stores – Pet Stores have been a key part of the strong and growing recovery of this group. They finished 2020 +0.9% but sales took off in March 21. They set a new monthly $ales record in December. Sales are -1.9% from October but up vs 2021. Since April they have held the top spot in YTD increase vs 2021. Their YTD growth since 2019 is 2^nd only to NonStore and 81% of the 44.8% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +13.1%, Real: +10.9%.
• NonStore Retailers – 90% of their volume comes from Internet/Mail Order/TV. The pandemic accelerated online spending. They ended 2020 +21.4%. The growth continued in 2021. In December monthly sales exceeded $100B for the 1^st time and they broke the $1 Trillion barrier for the year. Their YTD Growth has slowed significantly in 2022 but all measurements are positive. 87.6% of their 73.2% increase since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +20.1%, Real: +18.0%.

Note: Almost without exception, online sales by brick ‘n mortar retailers are recorded with their regular store sales.

Recap – The Retail recovery from the pandemic was largely driven by Relevant Retail and by the end of 2021 it had become very widespread. In 2022, a new challenge came to the forefront – extreme inflation, the worst in 40 years. Overall, and in most product categories it has slowed in Jul>Nov. On the surface, the Retail impact is almost invisible. Sales in the total market and in the Relevant Retail group continue to grow but the growth rate has markedly slowed compared to last year. Overall, the retail market is generally in phase II of strong inflation – spending grows but the amount purchased falls. November is the traditional start of the Holiday Shopping season, so the obvious question is, “How is it going?” The channels most impacted are – Clothing, General Merchandise, Electronics, Nonstore, Sporting Gds and Miscellaneous. These channels produced 61% of Relevant Retail November Sales but 100% of the increase from October & 59% of the lift from 2021. They were up 5.3% from 2021 and real sales were +0.4%, much better than -2.3% for Relevant Retail. The Holiday lift has begun but it is rather small. BTW – 67% of the increase came from Nonstore.

Finally, here are the details and updated inflation rates for the CPIs used to calculate the impact of inflation on retail groups and channels. This includes special aggregate CPIs created with the instruction and guidance of personnel from the US BLS. I also researched data from the last Economic Census to review the share of sales by product category for the various channels to help in selecting what expenditures to include in specific aggregates. Of course, none of these specially created aggregates are 100% accurate but they are much closer than the overall CPI or available aggregates.

Monthly CPI changes of 0.2% or more are highlighted.

I’m sure that this list raises some questions. Here are some answers to some of the more obvious ones.

1. Why is the group for Non-store different from the Internet?
   1. Non-store is not all internet. It also includes Fuel Oil Dealers, the non-motor fuel Energy Commodity.
2. Why is there no Food at home included in Non-store or Internet?
   1. Online Grocery purchasing is becoming popular but almost all is from companies whose major business is brick ‘n mortar. These online sales are recorded under their primary channel.
3. 6 Channels have the same CPI aggregate but represent a variety of business types.
   1. They also have a wide range of product types. Rather than try to build aggregates of a multitude of small expenditure categories, it seemed better to eliminate the biggest, influential groups that they don’t sell. This method is not perfect, but it is certainly closer than any existing aggregate.
4. Why are Grocery and Supermarkets only tied to the Grocery CPI?
   1. According to the Economic Census, 76% of their sales comes from Grocery products. Grocery Products are the driver. The balance of their sales comes from a collection of a multitude of categories.
5. What about Drug/Health Stores only being tied to Medical Commodities.
   1. An answer similar to the one for Grocery/Supermarkets. However, in this case Medical Commodities account for over 80% of these stores’ total sales.
6. Why do SuperCtrs/Clubs and $ Stores have the same CPI?
   1. While the Big Stores sell much more fresh groceries, Groceries account for ¼ of $ Store sales. Both Channels generally offer most of the same product categories, but the actual product mix is different.

By 2021, the market had generally recovered from the impact of the pandemic. Now we are being hit by extreme inflation, with rates higher than we have seen in 40 years. Obviously, this can affect retail sales, so we’ll continue to track the retail market with data from two reports provided by the Census Bureau and factor in the CPI from US BLS.

The Census Bureau Reports are the Monthly and the Advance Retail Sales Reports. Both are derived from sales data gathered from retailers across the U.S. and are published monthly at the same time. The Advance Report has a smaller sample size so it can be published quickly – about 2 weeks after month end. The Monthly Final Report includes data from all respondents, so it takes longer to compile the data – about 6 weeks. Although the sample size for the Advance report is smaller, the results over the years have proven it to be statistically accurate with the final monthly reports. The biggest difference is that the full sample in the Final report allows us to “drill” a little deeper into the retail channels.

We begin with the Final Report for July and then move to the Advance Report for August. Our focus is comparing 2022 to 2021 but also YTD 2019. We’ll show both actual and the “real” change in $ as we factor inflation into the data.

Both reports include the following:

• Total Retail, Restaurants, Auto, Gas Stations and Relevant Retail (removing Restaurants, Auto and Gas)
• Individual Channel Data – This will be more detailed in the “Final” reports, and we fill focus on Pet Relevant Channels

The information will be presented in detailed charts to facilitate visual comparison between groups/channels of:

• Current Month change – % & $ vs previous month
• Current Month change – % & $ vs same month in 2021
  • Current Month Real change – % vs same month in 2021 factoring in inflation
• Current YTD change – % & $ vs 2021
  • Current YTD Real change – % vs 2021 factoring in inflation
• Current YTD change vs 2019 – % & $
  • Current Real change YTD vs 2019 – % factoring in inflation
• Monthly & YTD $ & CPIs which are targeted by channel will also be shown. (CPI details are at the end of the report)

First, the July Final. Total Sales turned down for the 2^nd straight month but the $ were up for July and YTD vs 2021. However, factoring inflation into the data, for the 4th straight month only Restaurants had increases in these measurements. Here is the July data for the major retail groups. (All $ are Actual, Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The July Final is $0.7B less than the Advance Report. Restaurants had the biggest change: -1.1B; Relevant Retail: +0.4B; Auto: -$0.4B; Gas Stations: +$0.4B. Sales are down again from last month in all but Restaurants, but consumers continue to spend more vs 2021, except for another dip in Auto. However, the “real” numbers tell a different story. All but Restaurants are again really down in all measurements vs 2021. Restaurants had a late recovery and half of the inflation in this group came before 2022. The inflation impact on Relevant Retail is especially significant as their Real YTD sales vs 2021 are again negative. They do have the best performance since 2019 as 64.4% of their 31.7% growth is “Real”.

Now, let’s see how some Key Pet Relevant channels did in July.

Overall – 6 of 11 were down vs June. Vs July 2021, 10 reported more $ but only 3 were really up. In YTD vs 2021, 9 reported increases but only 4 were real. Vs 2019, only Office/Gift/Souvenir & Discount Dept Stores were “really” down.

• Building Material Stores – Their Spring lift has ended and was not as strong as last year. YTD Home Ctr/Hdwe is up 6.8% vs 21 but Farm stores are only +2.2%. The Bldg/Matl group has an inflation rate of 10.8% which produced all negative real numbers. The pandemic caused consumers to focus on their homes which produced sales growth over 36% since 2019 in both channels. Importantly, 61.1% of this lift was real, primarily because the bulk of the lift came from 20>21, prior to the inflation wave. Avg Growth Rate: HomeCtr/Hdwe: 10.9%, Real: 6.7%; Farm: 11.4, Real: 7.3%
• Food & Drug – Both channels are truly essential. Except for the pandemic food binge buying, they tend to have smaller fluctuations in $. However, they are radically different in inflation. The YTD rate for Grocery products is 4 times higher than for Drugs/Med products. Drug Store $ are down from June but up vs 21. Real sales are down vs July 2021 but 88% of their growth since 2019 is real. The Real Sales for Supermarkets are down for the month & YTD. Also, only 19.8% of their growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth Rate: Supermarkets: +6.5%, Real: +1.4%; Drug Stores: +4.4%, Real: +3.9%.
• Sporting Goods Stores – They also benefited from the pandemic in that consumers turned to self-entertainment, especially sports & outdoor activities. Their Spring lift seems to be over and 2022 YTD sales are essentially equal to 2021. Their current inflation rate is 5.2% which is down from 7.5% in April but YTD it is still 6.7%. It was also high in 20>21, +4.8%. However, 72% of their 48% lift since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth Rate was: +14.0%; Real: +10.4%.
• Gen Mdse Stores – Sales were up for all but $/Valu vs June. Discount Dept stores are down for the month and YTD vs 2021. All other groups are up for both. All real measurements vs 2021 are negative for all channels. Disc. Dept Stores were hurting before COVID and now their sales are “really” down from 2019. The other channels have 41% real growth. Avg Growth Rate: SupCtr/Club: 5.7%, Real: 2.2%; $/Value Strs: +7.6%, Real: +4.3%; Disc. Dept.: +2.6%, Real: -0.001%
• Office, Gift & Souvenir Stores – Their recovery didn’t start until the spring of 2021. Sales are up across the board vs June & 2021. The growth vs 2021 has been strong enough that it turned real YTD sales positive vs 2021. However, their real sales vs 2019 are still down -1.9%. Their true recovery is still a ways off. Avg Growth Rate: +1.9%, Real: -0.6%
• Internet/Mail Order – The growth of the “hero” of the Pandemic is slowing. July Sales are up vs June and 2021 but their YTD growth rate is only half of their average since 2019. However, 92% of their 79.0% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth Rates is: +21.4%, Real: +19.6%. As expected, they are by far the growth leaders since 2019.
• A/O Miscellaneous – This is a group of specialty retailers. Pet Stores are 22>24% of total $. In May 2020 they began their recovery which reached a record level by December 2021 as annual sales reached $100B for the first time. In 2022, they are by far the Sales increase leaders over 2021. Their sales dipped in January from December and again in July but all measurements have been positive for every other month. Plus, 87% of their 59.4% growth since 2019 is real. Average Growth Rate is: +16.8%, Real: +14.9%. They are 2^nd in growth since 2019 to the internet. I’m sure Pet Stores are helping.

There is no doubt that high inflation is an important factor in Retail. In actual $, 10 of 11 channels reported increases in monthly  and YTD sales over 2021. When you factor in inflation, the number with any “real” growth falls to 4 for YTD & 3 for monthly. This is a very clear indication of the strong impact of inflation at the retail channel level. Recent data indicates that Inflation again slowed a little. Let’s look at the impact on the Advance Retail Sales numbers for August.

We have had memorable times since 2019. Some big negatives, including the 2 biggest monthly drops in history but a lot of positives in the Pandemic recovery. Total Retail reached $600B in a month for the first time and broke the $7 Trillion barrier in 2021.  Relevant Retail was also strong as annual sales reached $4T and all big groups set annual $ales records in 2021. Now, radical inflation is a big factor with the largest increase in 40 years. At first this reduces the amount of product sold but not $ spent. This was evident again in August Relevant Retail $. There was a small overall sales increase from July and $ were up vs July 2021 for all. However, in Relevant Retail the actual amount of product sold vs 2021 fell.

Overall – Inflation Reality is still here. The monthly increase vs 2021 continues to be lower than the inflation rate. The still recovering Restaurants and Gas Stations are up double digits vs 2021 and Auto $ turned positive again. August set a new monthly $ record, but the real YTD sales vs 2021 for all but restaurants are down for the 5th straight month.

Total Retail – Every month in 2022 has set a monthly sales record. August $ are $699B, the 3rd largest of all time. 2022 has become somewhat normal as sales have stayed near the current level for 4 months. We should now expect a slight dip in September. August $ are +1.3% vs July and are up 10.4% vs August 2021 and 10.3% vs YTD 2021. However, when you factor in double digit inflation, both measurements are down for the 6th consecutive month and only 39.9% of the 31.6% growth since 2019 is real. The Avg Growth Rate is: +9.6%, Real: +4.0%. The impact of Inflation continues.

Restaurants – They were hit hard by the pandemic and didn’t truly start to recover until March 2021. Sales in the last 9 months of 2021 exceeded $70B and 2021 was the biggest year in history, $876B. January sales fell from December but then turned up, setting new all-time monthly records in March>May. $ fell in June, set a new record in July and then fell again in August. They are the only big group that is positive in all measurements vs 2021 & 2019. Inflation is high at 7.9% for August and 7.1% YTD but it is the lowest of any big group. 58.7% of their 31.0% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth Rate: +9.4%, Real: +5.7%. They only account for 12.6% of Total Retail $ales, but their strong performance helps to improve the overall retail numbers.

Auto (Motor Vehicle & Parts Dealers) – This group actively worked to overcome the stay-at-home attitude with great deals and a lot of advertising. They finished 2020 up 1% vs 2019 and hit a record $1.48T in 2021. In 2022 sales got on a rollercoaster – Jan down, Feb/Mar up, Apr>May down, June up, July down, August up. The August lift was strong, +9.5%. Their 4 down months are the only reported sales negatives by any big group vs 2021. This is bad but their real YTD sales numbers are much worse. Extremely high inflation has pushed their real YTD sales down -12.4% vs 2021, the worst of any group. Plus, their 24.3% growth since 2019 is really down -10.7%. Their Avg Growth Rate: +7.5%, Real: -3.7%. Inflation has slowed in the last 3 months. It is likely that the 4 drops in $ales vs 2021 were tied to higher inflation.

Gas Stations – Gas Stations were also hit hard. If you stay home, you drive less and obviously need less gas. This group started recovery in March 2021 and reached a record $584B for the year. Sales fell in Jan>Feb turned up in Mar>Jun then fell in Jul>Aug. They have the biggest increases vs 2021 and 2019 but it is not reality. Gasoline inflation has slowed so August $ are really up vs 2021. Inflation is still 26.2% and 43.9% YTD, by far the highest of any expenditure category. It has even caused consumers to buy 5.1% less than they did in 2019. Avg Growth Rate: +14.7%, Real: -1.7%. The YTD numbers show a big impact of inflation. Consumers spend more but buy less, even less than they bought 3 years ago.

Relevant Retail – Less Auto, Gas and Restaurants – This the “core” of U.S. retail and accounts for 60+% of Total Retail Spending. There are a variety of channels in this group, so they took a number of different paths through the pandemic. However, their only down month was April 2020. They finished 2020, up +7.1% and 2021 got even better as they reached a record $4.50T. They have led the way in Total Retail’s recovery which became widespread across the channels. Sales fell in Jan>Feb, then went on an up/down roller coaster from Mar>Aug with August up 1.9%. All months in 2022 set new records but their YTD increase is 18% below their 9.6% avg growth since 2019. Now, we’ll look at the impact of inflation. 62.9% of their 31.5% growth since 2019 is real. However real sales vs 2021 are down -1.2% for the month and -0.8% YTD. This shows that inflation is only a 2022 problem. Their Avg Growth Rate: +9.6%, Real: +6.2%. The performance of this huge group is critically important. This is where America shops. Real YTD sales are down almost 1% so the amount of products that consumers bought in 2022 is less than in 2021. They just paid more. That’s not good.

The impact of inflation is slowing slightly. All groups but Restaurants have no YTD real growth vs 2021 but only Relevant Retail is really down for the month. Auto & Gas Stations are still “really down” vs YTD 2019. We’ve now had 6 straight months of real monthly and YTD drops for Total Retail so we are still in Phase II of inflation. Consumer spending grows but the amount bought declines. With actual sales in 4 of the last 6 months down vs 2021, the Auto Group is close to Phase III, when consumers actually cut back on spending. If inflation continues, Phase III could become a reality.

• Relevant Retail: Avg Growth Rate: +9.6%, Real: +6.2%. 9 channels were up vs July and 10 vs August 2021, producing an August $ales record. 10 were up YTD vs 2021. The negative impact of inflation is less but still there in the “real” data.
• All Dept Stores – This group was struggling before COVID, and the pandemic hit them hard. They began to recover in March 2020 and have continued to grow in 2022. Their YTD numbers have been positive vs 2019 since April but in August they are still down in “real” terms in all measurements vs both 2019 & 2021. Avg Growth: +0.06%, Real: -2.7%.
• Club/SuprCtr/$ – They fueled a big part of the overall recovery because they focus on value which has broad consumer appeal. Inflation is a big factor in their current numbers. Sales are down from July but up vs August 2021 and YTD. Their real numbers are down vs 2021 and only 38.4% of their 18.5% lift from 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +5.8%, Real: +2.3%.
• Grocery- These stores depend on frequent purchases, so except for the binge buying in 2020, their changes are usually less radical. Inflation has hit them hard. $ are down from July. Monthly & YTD increases vs 2021 are strong but inflation is stronger. Real sales are down and only 16.0% of the growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +6.5%, Real: +1.1%.
• Health/Drug Stores – Many stores in this group are essential, but consumers visit far less frequently than Grocery stores. After a dip in June, sales turned up in Jul>Aug and are ahead of 2021. However, real sales vs August 21 are down. Their inflation rate is low so 89% of their 14.7% growth from 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +4.7%, Real: +4.2%.
• Clothing and Accessories – They were nonessential, and clothes mattered less when you stayed home. That changed in March 2021 and resulted in explosive growth which continued through May 2022. August sales are up +3.7% from 21 but real sales are -1.3%. YTD $ are up 7.9%% and 87% of their growth from 2019 is real. Avg Growth: 4.8%, Real: 4.1%.
• Home Furnishings – They were also less impacted by COVID. Sales dipped Mar>May in 2020. Then as consumers’ focus turned to their homes, furniture became a priority. Inflation is high. Sales are up from July and vs 2021 but all of their real numbers vs 2021 are negative. Only 18.4% of their growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +6.3%, Real: +1.2%.
• Electronic & Appliances – This channel has problems beyond the pandemic. Sales fell in Apr>May of 2020 and didn’t reach 2019 levels until March 2021. Sales are up from July but are down vs 2021. The July lift was not enough to keep sales positive vs 2019 but deflation kept “real” sales up for the month & YTD vs 2019. Avg Growth: -0.08%, Real: +0.3%.
• Building Material, Farm & Garden & Hardware –They truly benefited from the consumers’ focus on home. This year’s spring lift ended in May as Sales dropped in Jun>Jul. However, they turned sharply up in August. Monthly & YTD sales are up vs 2021, but when you factor in strong, double-digit inflation, the amount sold YTD vs 2021 is still down -3.8%. However, 59.0% of their strong 36.6% sales growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +11.0%, Real: +6.7%.
• Sporting Goods, Hobby and Book Stores – Consumers turned their attention to recreation and Sporting Goods stores sales took off. Book & Hobby Stores recovered more slowly. August sales grew 10.7% from July and are still ahead of 2021, monthly & YTD. However, real YTD $ are still down vs 2021. Inflation in this group is lower than most groups and most comes from Sporting Goods. 79% of their 37.6% growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth is: +11.2%, Real: +9.0%.
• All Miscellaneous Stores – Pet Stores have been a key part of the strong and growing recovery of this group. They finished 2020 +0.9% but sales took off in March 21. They set a new monthly $ales record in December. Sales are up 3.6% from July and since April they have held the top spot in YTD increase vs 2021. Their YTD growth since 2019 is 2^nd only to NonStore. Plus, 82.2% of the 45.6% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +13.3%, Real: +11.2%.
• NonStore Retailers – 90% of their volume comes from Internet/Mail Order/TV. The pandemic accelerated online spending. They ended 2020 +21.4%. The growth continued in 2021. In December monthly sales exceeded $100B for the 1^st time and they broke the $1 Trillion barrier for the year. Their YTD Growth has slowed significantly in 2022 but all measurements are positive. 88.4% of their 73.2% increase since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +20.1%, Real: +18.1%.

Note: Almost without exception, online sales by brick ‘n mortar retailers are recorded with their regular store sales.

Recap – The Retail recovery from the pandemic was largely driven by Relevant Retail. While the timing varied between channels, by the end of 2021 it had become very widespread. In late 2021 and now in 2022, a new challenge came to the forefront – extreme inflation. It isn’t the worst in history, but it is the biggest increase in prices in 40 years. Overall, it slowed in Jul>Aug but for Relevant Retail it got worse. On the surface, the impact is almost invisible. Sales in the total market and in the Relevant Retail group continue to grow but the growth rate has markedly slowed compared to last year. Overall, the market is generally in phase II of strong inflation – spending grows but the amount purchased falls. The channels in the graph illustrate this perfectly and show how widespread that it has become. 10 of 11 channels are up vs August & YTD 2021 However, when you factor in inflation, only 5 are up for August and 4 for YTD. Inflation is real and there are real and even worse consequences if it continues.

Finally, here are the details and updated inflation rates for the CPIs used to calculate the impact of inflation on retail groups and channels. This includes special aggregate CPIs created with the instruction and guidance of personnel from the US BLS. I also researched data from the last Economic Census to review the share of sales by product category for the various channels to help in selecting what expenditures to include in specific aggregates. Of course, none these specially created aggregates are 100% accurate but they are much closer than the overall CPI or available aggregates.

Monthly CPI changes of 0.2% or more are highlighted.

I’m sure that this list raises some questions. Here are some answers to some of the more obvious ones.

1. Why is the group for Non-store different from the Internet?
   1. Non-store is not all internet. It also includes Fuel Oil Dealers, the non-motor fuel Energy Commodity.
2. Why is there no Food at home included in Non-store or Internet?
   1. Online Grocery purchasing is becoming popular but almost all is from companies whose major business is brick ‘n mortar. These online sales are recorded under their primary channel.
3. 6 Channels have the same CPI aggregate but represent a variety of business types.
   1. They also have a wide range of product types. Rather than try to build aggregates of a multitude of small expenditure categories, it seemed better to eliminate the biggest, influential groups that they don’t sell. This method is not perfect, but it is certainly closer than any existing aggregate.
4. Why are Grocery and Supermarkets only tied to the Grocery CPI?
   1. According to the Economic Census, 76% of their sales comes from Grocery products. Grocery Products are the driver. The balance of their sales comes from a collection of a multitude of categories.
5. What about Drug/Health Stores only being tied to Medical Commodities.
   1. An answer similar to the one for Grocery/Supermarkets. However, in this case Medical Commodities account for over 80% of these stores’ total sales.
6. Why do SuperCtrs/Clubs and $ Stores have the same CPI?
   1. While the Big Stores sell much more fresh groceries, Groceries account for ¼ of $ Store sales. Both Channels generally offer most of the same product categories, but the actual product mix is different.

By 2021, the market had generally recovered from the impact of the pandemic. Now we are being hit by extreme inflation, with rates higher than we have seen in 40 years. Obviously, this can affect retail sales, so we’ll continue to track the retail market with data from two reports provided by the Census Bureau and factor in the CPI from US BLS.

The Census Bureau Reports are the Monthly and the Advance Retail Sales Reports. Both are derived from sales data gathered from retailers across the U.S. and are published monthly at the same time. The Advance Report has a smaller sample size so it can be published quickly – about 2 weeks after month end. The Monthly Final Report includes data from all respondents, so it takes longer to compile the data – about 6 weeks. Although the sample size for the Advance report is smaller, the results over the years have proven it to be statistically accurate with the final monthly reports. The biggest difference is that the full sample in the Final report allows us to “drill” a little deeper into the retail channels.

We begin with the Final Report for June and then move to the Advance Report for July. Our focus is comparing 2022 to 2021 but also YTD 2019. We’ll show both actual and the “real” change in $ as we factor inflation into the data.

Both reports include the following:

• Total Retail, Restaurants, Auto, Gas Stations and Relevant Retail (removing Restaurants, Auto and Gas)
• Individual Channel Data – This will be more detailed in the “Final” reports, and we fill focus on Pet Relevant Channels

The information will be presented in detailed charts to facilitate visual comparison between groups/channels of:

• Current Month change – % & $ vs previous month
• Current Month change – % & $ vs same month in 2021
  • Current Month Real change – % vs same month in 2021 factoring in inflation
• Current YTD change – % & $ vs 2021
  • Current YTD Real change – % vs 2021 factoring in inflation
• Current YTD change vs 2019 – % & $
  • Current Real change YTD vs 2019 – % factoring in inflation
• Monthly & YTD $ & CPIs which are targeted by channel will also be shown. (CPI details are at the end of the report)

First, the June Final. Driven by Relevant Retail & Restaurants, Sales turned down in June. The $ were up for June and YTD vs 2021. However, factoring inflation into the data, for the 3rd straight month only Restaurants had increases in these measurements. Here is the June data for the major retail groups. (All $ are Actual, Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The June Final is $0.6B more than the Advance Report. Only Gas Stations were down. Relevant Retail: +1.5B; Auto: +$0.3B; Restaurants: N/C; Gas Stations: -$1.0B. Total Sales are down slightly from May, but consumers continue to spend more vs 2021. However, the “real” numbers give you a different view. All but Restaurants are again really down in all measurements vs 2021. Restaurants are strong due to a late recovery but also note that half of the inflation in this group came before 2022. The inflation impact on Relevant Retail is especially significant as their Real YTD sales vs 2021 are again negative. Relevant Retail does have the best performance since 2019 as 65.4% of their 31.8% growth is “Real”.

Now, let’s see how some Key Pet Relevant channels did in June.

Overall – 9 of 11 were down vs May. Vs June 2021, 10 reported more $ but only 3 were really up. In YTD vs 2021, 9 reported increases but only 4 were real. Vs 2019, only the Office/Gift/Souvenir channel was “really” down.

• Building Material Stores – Their Spring lift is ending and was not as strong as last year. Home Ctr/Hdwe is up 7.1% vs 21 but Farm stores are only +1.2% YTD. The Bldg/Matl group has an inflation rate of 10.5+% which produced all negative real numbers. The pandemic caused consumers to focus on their homes which produced sales growth over 37% since 2019 in both channels. Importantly, 61.4% of this lift was real, primarily because the bulk of the lift came from 20>21, prior to the inflation wave. Avg Growth Rate: HomeCtr/Hdwe: 11.3%, Real: 7.2%; Farm: 11.4, Real: 7.4%
• Food & Drug – Both channels are truly essential. Except for the food binge buying in the pandemic, they tend to have smaller fluctuations in $. However, they are radically different in inflation. The rate for Grocery products is 4 times higher than for Drugs/Med products. Drug Store $ up from May but real sales are down vs June 2021. However, 89% of their growth since 2019 is real. The Real Sales for Supermarkets are down for the month and YTD. Also, only 22.2% of their growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth Rate: Supermarkets: +6.4%, Real: +1.5%; Drug Stores: +4.3%, Real: +3.9%.
• Sporting Goods Stores – They also benefited from the pandemic in that consumers turned to self-entertainment, especially sports & outdoor activities. Their Spring lift seems to be kicking in again after stabilizing in April/May at a level below 2021. Their current inflation rate is 5.3% which is down from 7.5% in April but YTD it is still 6.9%. It was also high in 20>21, +4.8%. However, 72% of their 49% lift since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth Rate was: +14.2%; Real: +10.6%.
• Gen Mdse Stores – Sales were down for all vs May. Discount Dept stores are down for the month and YTD vs 2021. All other groups are up for both. All real measurements vs 2021 are negative for all channels. Disc. Dept Stores were hurting before COVID and only 0.4% of their 7.8% growth since 2019 is real. For the other channels, it averages 41%. Average Growth Rate: SupCtr/Club: 5.2%, Real: 1.9%; $/Value Strs: +7.5%, Real: +4.3%; Disc. Dept.: +2.5%, Real: 0.01%
• Office, Gift & Souvenir Stores – Their recovery didn’t start until the spring of 2021. Sales are down from May but up vs 2021. The growth vs 2021 has been strong enough that it turned real YTD sales positive vs 2021. However, their real sales vs 2019 are still down -2.6%. Their true recovery is still a ways off. Avg Growth Rate: +1.7%, Real: -0.9%
• Internet/Mail Order – The growth of the “hero” of the Pandemic is slowing. Sales are down vs May but up vs 2021. Also, their YTD growth rate is only half of their average since 2019, but 90% of their 80.3% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth Rates is: +21.7%, Real: +19.9%. As expected, they are by far the growth leaders since 2019.
• A/O Miscellaneous – This is a group of specialty retailers. Pet Stores are 22>24% of total $. In May 2020 they began their recovery which reached a record level by December 2021 as annual sales reached $100B for the first time. In 2022, they are by far the Sales increase leaders over 2021. As expected, their sales dipped in January from December, but all measurements have been positive every month since then. Plus, 87% of their 60.1% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth Rate is: +17.0%, Real: +15.1%. They are 2^nd in growth since 2019 to the internet. I’m sure Pet Stores are helping.

There is no doubt that high inflation is an important factor in Retail. In actual $, 9 channels reported increases in YTD sales over 2021 and 10 are up for the month. When you factor in inflation, the number with any “real” growth falls to 4 for YTD & 3 for monthly. This is a very clear indication of the strong impact of inflation at the retail channel level. Recent data indicates that Inflation slowed a little. Let’s look at the impact on the Advance Retail Sales numbers for July.

We have had memorable times since 2019. Some big negatives, including the 2 biggest monthly drops in history but a lot of positives in the Pandemic recovery. Total Retail reached $600B in a month for the first time and broke the $7 Trillion barrier in 2021.  Relevant Retail was also strong as annual sales reached $4T and all big groups set annual $ales records in 2021. Now, radical inflation is a big factor with the largest increase in 40 years. At first this reduces the amount of product sold but not $ spent. This was evident again in July. There was a small overall sales decrease from June but $ were up vs July 2021 for all but Auto. However, the actual amount of product sold vs 2021 fell in all but Restaurants.

Overall – Inflation Reality is here. The monthly increase vs 2021 continues to be lower than the inflation rate. The still recovering Restaurants and Gas Stations are up double digits vs 2021 but Auto $ are down again. July set a new $ record for the month, but the real monthly and YTD sales vs 2021 for all but restaurants are down for the 4^th straight month.

Total Retail – Every month in 2022 has set a monthly sales record. July $ are $691B, the 4th largest of all time. In a normal year, sales should stay at or near this level until dipping slightly in September. However, 2022 is not normal. Sales are -0.6% vs June but are still up 8.6% vs July 2021 and 10.2% vs YTD 2021. However, when you factor in 12+% inflation, both measurements are down for the 5th consecutive month and only 41.1% of the 31.9% growth since 2019 is real. The Avg Growth Rate is: +9.7%, Real: +4.2%. The impact of Inflation continues to grow.

Restaurants – They were hit hard by the pandemic and didn’t truly start to recover until March 2021. Sales in the last 9 months of 2021 exceeded $70B and 2021 was the biggest year in history, $876B. January sales fell from December but then turned up, setting new all-time monthly records in March>May. $ fell in June but set a new record in July. They are the only big group that is positive in all measurements. Inflation is high at 7.5% for June and 7.0% YTD but it is the lowest of any big group. 60.8% of their 31.6% growth since 2019 is real. The May>July % is up 50% from Jan>April, showing the growing appeal of “eating out” after months of cooking at home. Their Avg Growth Rate: +9.6%, Real: +6.0%. They only account for 12.6% of Total Retail $ales, but their strong performance helps to improve the overall retail numbers.

Auto (Motor Vehicle & Parts Dealers) – This group actively worked to overcome the stay-at-home attitude with great deals and a lot of advertising. They finished 2020 up 1% vs 2019 and hit a record $1.48T in 2021. In 2022 sales got on a rollercoaster – Jan down, Feb/Mar up, Apr>May down, June up & July down. Except for a tiny lift in June their monthly sales have been below 2021 since March. These are the only reported sales negatives by any group vs 2021. This is bad but their real sales numbers are much worse. Extremely high inflation has pushed their real sales down -9+% in all measurements vs 2021, the worst numbers of any group. Plus, their 25.3% growth since 2019 is really down -3.4%. Their Avg Growth Rate: +7.8%, Real: -1.2%. It is likely that the drops in the reported $ales vs 2021 are tied to high inflation.

Gas Stations – Gas Stations were also hit hard. If you stay home, you drive less and obviously need less gas. This group started recovery in March 2021 and reached a record $584B for the year. Sales fell in Jan>Feb turned up in Mar>Jun then fell in July. They have the biggest increases vs 2021 and 2019 but it is not reality. Gasoline inflation slowed a bit in July but at 44.5%, it is still by far the highest of any expenditure category. It is 46.7% YTD vs 2021 and has even caused consumers to buy 5.9% less than they did in 2019. Avg Growth Rate: +14.7%, Real: -2.0%. It’s a textbook example of the initial impact of inflation. Consumers are spending more but buying less, even less than they bought 3 years ago.

Relevant Retail – Less Auto, Gas and Restaurants – This the “core” of U.S. retail and accounts for 60+% of Total Retail Spending. There are a variety of channels in this group, so they took a number of different paths through the pandemic. However, their only down month was April 2020. They finished 2020, up +7.1% and 2021 got even better as they reached a record $4.50T. They have led the way in Total Retail’s recovery which became widespread across the channels. Sales fell in Jan>Feb, went on an up/down roller coaster from Mar>June but fell again in July. All months in 2022 set new records but their YTD increase is now 25% below their 9.6% avg growth since 2019. Now, we’ll look at the impact of inflation. 63.9% of their 31.6% growth since 2019 is real. However real sales vs 2021 are down -2.0% for the month and -0.8% YTD. This shows that inflation is only a 2022 problem. Their Avg Growth Rate: +9.6%, Real: +6.3%. The performance of this huge group is critically important. This is where America shops. Real YTD sales are down almost 1% so the amount of products that consumers bought in 2022 is less than in 2021. They just paid more. That’s not good.

The impact of inflation is becoming even more apparent. All groups but Restaurants have had no monthly or YTD real growth vs 2021 for 4 consecutive months. Both Auto & Gas Stations are even “really down” vs YTD 2019. Added together, this has produced 5 straight months of real monthly and YTD drops for Total Retail. We are in Phase II of inflation. Consumer spending grows but the amount bought declines. With 4 of the last 5 months down vs 2021, the Auto Group is likely in Phase III, when consumers actually cut back on spending. If inflation continues, this worsening situation will become more widespread.

• Relevant Retail: Avg Growth Rate: +9.6%, Real: +6.3%. 5 channels were up vs June but 8 vs July 2021, producing a July $ales record. 10 were up YTD vs 2021 but you will see the negative impact of inflation in the real numbers.
• All Dept Stores – This group was struggling before COVID, and the pandemic hit them hard. They began to recover in March 2020 and have continued to grow in 2022. Their YTD numbers have been positive vs 2019 since April but in July they are still down in “real” terms in all measurements vs both 2019 & 2021. Avg Growth: +0.07%, Real: -2.6%.
• Club/SuprCtr/$ – They fueled a big part of the overall recovery because they focus on value which has broad consumer appeal. Inflation is a big factor in their current numbers. July sales are down from June but up vs July 2021 and YTD. Their real numbers are down and only 36.2% of their 17.4% lift from 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +5.5%, Real: +2.1%.
• Grocery- These stores depend on frequent purchases, so except for the binge buying in 2020, their changes are usually less radical. Inflation has hit them hard. $ are up from June. Monthly & YTD increases vs 2021 are strong but inflation is stronger. Real sales are down and only 19.4% of the growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +6.4%, Real = +1.3%.
• Health/Drug Stores – Many stores in this group are essential, but consumers visit far less frequently than Grocery stores. After a dip in June, sales turned up in July and are ahead of 2021. However, real sales vs July 2021 are down. Their inflation rate is low so 89% of their 14.4% growth from 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +4.6%, Real: +4.1%.
• Clothing and Accessories – They were nonessential, and clothes mattered less when you stayed home. That changed in March 2021 and resulted in explosive growth which continued through May 2022. July sales are only +0.2% from 2021 and real sales are -4.9%. YTD $ are up 8.7%% and 88% of their growth from 2019 is real. Avg Growth: 5.1%, Real: 4.5%.
• Home Furnishings – They were also less impacted by COVID. Sales dipped Mar>May in 2020. Then as consumers’ focus turned to their homes, furniture became a priority. Inflation is high. Sales are up from June, but down vs July 21 and all their real numbers vs 2021 are negative. Only 24.9% of their growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +6.7%, Real: +1.7%.
• Electronic & Appliances – This channel has problems beyond the pandemic. Sales fell in Apr>May of 2020 and didn’t reach 2019 levels until March 2021. Sales are up minimally from June but are down across the board vs 2021. The increase from June and deflation kept sales positive vs 2019 but only +0.01%. Avg Growth: +0.005%, Real: +0.22%.
• Building Material, Farm & Garden & Hardware –They truly benefited from the consumers’ focus on home. This year’s spring lift ended in May as Sales dropped -3.8% in June and -9.3% in July. July & YTD sales are up vs 2021, but when you factor in strong, double-digit inflation, the amount sold vs 2021 is significantly lower for both. However, 59.6% of their strong 36.4% sales growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +10.9%, Real: +6.8%.
• Sporting Goods, Hobby and Book Stores – Consumers turned their attention to recreation and Sporting Goods stores sales took off. Book & Hobby Stores recovered more slowly. July sales fell -0.7% from June but were still up vs July 2021 & YTD. However, all real measurements are down vs 2021. Inflation in this group is lower than most groups and most comes from Sporting Goods. 79% of their 38.2% growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth is: +11.4%, Real: +9.2%.
• All Miscellaneous Stores – Pet Stores have been a key part of the strong and growing recovery of this group. They finished 2020 +0.9% but sales took off in March 21. They set a new monthly $ales record in December. Sales are down -2.1% from June but from April>July they have held the top spot in YTD increase vs 2021. Their YTD growth since 2019 is 2^nd only to NonStore. Plus, 82.9% of the 46.2% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +13.5%, Real: +11.4%.
• NonStore Retailers – 90% of their volume comes from Internet/Mail Order/TV. The pandemic accelerated online spending. They ended 2020 +21.4%. The growth continued in 2021. In December monthly sales exceeded $100B for the 1^st time and they broke the $1 Trillion barrier for the year. Their Growth has slowed significantly in 2022 but all measurements are positive. 88.7% of their 73.6% increase since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +20.2%, Real: +18.2%.

Note: Almost without exception, online sales by brick ‘n mortar retailers are recorded with their regular store sales.

Recap – The Retail recovery from the pandemic was largely driven by Relevant Retail. While the timing varied between channels, by the end of 2021 it had become very widespread. In late 2021 and now in 2022, a new challenge came to the forefront – extreme inflation. It isn’t the worst in history, but it is the biggest increase in prices in 40 years. Overall, it slowed in July but for Relevant Retail it got worse. On the surface, the impact is almost invisible. Sales in the total market and in the Relevant Retail group continue to grow but the growth has slowed markedly. Overall, the market is generally in phase II of strong inflation – spending grows but the amount purchased falls. The channels in the graph above illustrate this perfectly and show how widespread that it has become. 8 of 11 channels are up vs July 2021 and 10 are up YTD. However, when you factor in inflation, only 2 are up for July and 4 for YTD. Inflation is real and there are real and even worse consequences if it continues. To see an example of this, take a look at what is happening in the Auto Group.

Finally, here are the details and updated inflation rates for the CPIs used to calculate the impact of inflation on retail groups and channels. This includes special aggregate CPIs created with the instruction and guidance of personnel from the US BLS. I also researched data from the last Economic Census to review the share of sales by product category for the various channels to help in selecting what expenditures to include in specific aggregates. Of course, none these specially created aggregates are 100% accurate but they are much closer than the overall CPI or available aggregates.

I’m sure that this list raises some questions. Here are some answers to some of the more obvious ones.

1. Why is the group for Non-store different from the Internet?
   1. Non-store is not all internet. It also includes Fuel Oil Dealers, the non-motor fuel Energy Commodity.
2. Why is there no Food at home included in Non-store or Internet?
   1. Online Grocery purchasing is becoming popular but almost all is from companies whose major business is brick ‘n mortar. These online sales are recorded under their primary channel.
3. 6 Channels have the same CPI aggregate but represent a variety of business types.
   1. They also have a wide range of product types. Rather than try to build aggregates of a multitude of small expenditure categories, it seemed better to eliminate the biggest, influential groups that they don’t sell. This method is not perfect, but it is certainly closer than any existing aggregate.
4. Why are Grocery and Supermarkets only tied to the Grocery CPI?
   1. According to the Economic Census, 76% of their sales comes from Grocery products. Grocery Products are the driver. The balance of their sales comes from a collection of a multitude of categories.
5. What about Drug/Health Stores only being tied to Medical Commodities.
   1. An answer similar to the one for Grocery/Supermarkets. However, in this case Medical Commodities account for over 80% of these stores’ total sales.
6. Why do SuperCtrs/Clubs and $ Stores have the same CPI?
   1. While the Big Stores sell much more fresh groceries, Groceries account for ¼ of $ Store sales. Both Channels generally offer most of the same product categories, but the mix of actual products is substantially different.

By 2021, the market had generally recovered from the impact of the pandemic. Now we are being hit by extreme inflation, with rates higher than we have seen in 40 years. Obviously, this can affect retail sales, so we’ll continue to track the retail market with data from two reports provided by the Census Bureau and factor in the CPI from US BLS.

The Census Bureau Reports are the Monthly and the Advance Retail Sales Reports. Both are derived from sales data gathered from retailers across the U.S. and are published monthly at the same time. The Advance Report has a smaller sample size so it can be published quickly – about 2 weeks after month end. The Monthly Final Report includes data from all respondents, so it takes longer to compile the data – about 6 weeks. Although the sample size for the Advance report is smaller, the results over the years have proven it to be statistically accurate with the final monthly reports. The biggest difference is that the full sample in the Final report allows us to “drill” a little deeper into the retail channels.

We begin with the Final Report for April and then move to the Advance Report for May. Our focus is comparing 2022 to 2021 but also YTD 2019. We’ll show both actual and the “real” change in $ as we factor inflation into the data.

Both reports include the following:

• Total Retail, Restaurants, Auto, Gas Stations and Relevant Retail (removing Restaurants, Auto and Gas)
• Individual Channel Data – This will be more detailed in the “Final” reports, and we fill focus on Pet Relevant Channels

The information will be presented in detailed charts to facilitate visual comparison between groups/channels of:

• Current Month change – % & $ vs previous month
• Current Month change – % & $ vs same month in 2021
  • Current Month Real change – % vs same month in 2021 factoring in inflation
• Current YTD change – % & $ vs 2021
  • Current YTD Real change – % vs 2021 factoring in inflation
• Current YTD change vs 2019 – % & $
  • Current Real change YTD vs 2019 – % factoring in inflation
• Monthly & YTD $ & CPIs which are targeted by channel will also be shown. (CPI details are at the end of the report)

First, the April Final. After an uptick in March, sales generally turned down slightly in April. The $ were up for April and YTD vs 2021 for all groups but Auto. However, when you factor in inflation, only Restaurants had increases in these measurements. Here is the April data for the major retail groups. (All $ are Actual, Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The April Final is $2.6B less than the Advance Report. The drop was driven by Relevant Retail: -3.6B; Auto: -$0.1B; Restaurants: +$0.7B; Gas Stations: +$0.4B. Total Sales are down slightly from March, but consumers continue to spend more vs 2021 in all but Auto. However, the “real” numbers give you a different view. All but Restaurants are really down in all measurements. Restaurants are strong due to a late recovery but also note that half of the inflation in this group came before 2022. The inflation impact on Relevant Retail is especially significant as their Real YTD sales vs 2021 are now negative. Relevant Retail does have the best performance since 2019 as 67.9% of their 31.8% growth is “Real”.

Now, let’s see how some Key Pet Relevant channels did in April.

Overall – Only 6 of 11 were up vs March. Vs April 2021, 9 reported more $ but only 2 were really up. In YTD vs 2021, 9 reported increases but only 4 were real. Vs 2019, only the Office/Gift/Souvenir channel was “really” down.

• Building Material Stores – Their Spring lift has started but it is not as strong as last year. Home Ctr/Hdwe is up vs 21 but Farm stores are down for the month & YTD. The Bldg/Matl group has an inflation rate over 11% which produced all negative real numbers. The pandemic caused consumers to focus on their homes which produced sales growth over 30% since 2019 in both channels. Importantly, 67.9% of this lift was real, primarily because the bulk of the lift came from 20>21, prior to the inflation wave. Avg Growth Rate: HomeCtr/Hdwe: 11.3%, Real: 7.5%; Farm: 10.5, Real: 6.6%
• Food & Drug – Both channels are truly essential. Except for the food binge buying in the pandemic, they tend to have smaller fluctuations in $. However, they are radically different in inflation. The rate for Grocery products is 5 times higher than for Drugs/Med products. Sales for Drug Stores are flat vs March 2021 but 90% of their growth since 2019 is real. The Real Sales for Supermarkets are down for the month and YTD. Also, only 28.5% of their growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth Rate: Supermarkets: +6.3%, Real: +1.9%; Drug Stores: +4.1%, Real: +3.7%.
• Sporting Goods Stores – They also benefited from the pandemic in that consumers turned to self-entertainment, especially sports & outdoor activities. Their normal Spring lift started in March then stabilized in April at a level considerably below 2021. Their current inflation rate is 7.5% but it was also high in 20>21, +4.8%. However, 73% of their 48.8% lift since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth Rate was: +14.2%; Real: +10.7%.
• Gen Mdse Stores – Sales in SupCtr/Clubs fell vs March and all channels are up only slightly for the month and YTD vs 2021. All real measurements vs 2021 are negative for all channels. Disc. Dept Stores were struggling before COVID and only 17% of their 8% growth since 2019 is real. For the other channels, it averages 45%. Avg Growth Rate: SupCtr/Club: 5.6%, Real: 2.5%; $/Value Strs: +6.6%, Real: +3.5%; Disc. Dept.: +2.9%, Real: +0.5%
• Office, Gift & Souvenir Stores – Their recovery didn’t start until the spring of 2021. Sales are down vs March but up vs 2021. The growth vs 2021 has been strong enough that it turned real YTD sales positive vs 2021. However, their real sales vs 2019 are still down -4.3%. Their true recovery is still a long way off. Avg Growth Rate: +1.0%, Real: -1.5%
• Internet/Mail Order – The growth of the “hero” of the Pandemic is slowing. April sales are up in all measurements, but the YTD growth rate is less than half of the average since 2019. However, 91% of their 81.8% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth Rates is: +22.1%, Real: +20.4%. As expected, they are by far the growth leaders since 2019.
• A/O Miscellaneous – This is a group of specialty retailers. Pet Stores are 22>24% of total $. In May 2020 they began their recovery which reached a record level by December 2021 as annual sales reached $100B for the first time. In 2022, they are the Sales increase leaders over 2021. As expected, their sales dipped in January from December but all measurements have been positive every month since then. Plus, 88% of their 62.9% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth Rate is: +17.7%, Real: +15.8%. They are 2^nd in growth since 2019 to the internet, which is somewhat surprising.

There is no doubt that high inflation is an important factor in Retail. In actual $, 9 channels reported increases in YTD sales over 2021 and 9 are up for the month. When you factor in inflation, the number with any “real” growth falls to 4 YTD & 2 monthly. This is a very clear indication of the growing impact of inflation at the retail channel level. Recent data showed that Inflation continues to grow. Let’s look at the impact on the Advance Retail Sales numbers for May.

We have had memorable times since 2019. Some big negatives, including the 2 biggest monthly drops in history but a lot of positives in the Pandemic recovery. Total Retail reached $600B in a month for the first time and broke the $7 Trillion barrier in 2021.  Relevant Retail was also strong as annual sales reached $4T and all big groups set annual $ales records in 2021. Now radical inflation has entered the game with the largest increase in 40 years. At first this reduces the amount of product sold but not $ spent. In May there was a  small overall increase from April, but the amount sold again fell in all but Restaurants. If it continues, it can reduce consumer spending. This has happened in Auto in April & May.

Overall – Inflation Reality is setting in. The monthly increase vs the previous year continues to be smaller than it has been. The still recovering Restaurants and Gas Stations are up double digits vs 2021 but Auto $ are down again. May set a new $ record for the month, but the real monthly and YTD sales vs 2021 for all but restaurants are down.

Total Retail – Every month in 2022 has set a monthly sales record. May $ are $698B, second only in $ to December 2021. In a normal year, sales should stay at or near this level until dipping slightly in September. However, 2022 is not normal. Sales are +2.4% vs April but are still up 8.2% vs May 2021 and 10.6% vs YTD 2021. However, when you factor in 13+% inflation, both measurements are down for the 3rd consecutive month and only 43.6% of the 31.2% growth since 2019 is real. The Avg Growth Rate is: +9.5%, Real: +4.3%. The impact of Inflation is growing.

Restaurants – They were hit hard by the pandemic and didn’t truly start to recover until March 2021. Sales in the last 9 months of 2021 exceeded $70B and 2021 was the biggest year in history, $876B. January sales fell from December but have turned up since then setting new all-time monthly records in March, April and now May ($90.2B). They are the only big group that is positive in all measurements. Their inflation is high at 7.3% for May and 6.8% YTD but it is the lowest of any big group. 61.6% of their 30.2% growth since 2019 is real. This is up from 51% in April which shows the appeal of “eating out” after months of cooking at home. Their Avg Growth Rate: +9.2%, Real: +5.8%. Although they only account for 12.9% of Total Retail sales, their positive performance significantly helps to improve the overall retail numbers.

Auto (Motor Vehicle & Parts Dealers) – This group actively worked to overcome the stay-at-home attitude with great deals and a lot of advertising. They finished 2020 up 1% vs 2019 and hit a record $1.48T in 2021. In 2022 sales fell in January, turned up in Feb/Mar then fell again in April/May. They are unique in that their March, April and May sales are below 2021. These are the only reported sales negatives by any group vs 2021. This is bad but their real sales numbers are much worse. Extraordinarily high inflation has pushed their real sales down -16+% in all measurements vs 2021, the worst performance of any group. Plus, their 26.7% growth since 2019 is really down -1.4%. Their Avg Growth Rate: +8.2%, Real: -0.5%. It is very likely that the drops in the reported $ales in March>May are tied to extreme inflation.

Gas Stations – Gas Stations were also hit hard. If you stay home, you drive less and obviously need less gas. This group started recovery in March 2021 and reached a record $584B for the year. Sales fell in January and February then turned up in March>May. They have the biggest increases vs 2021 and 2019 but it is not reality. Gasoline inflation is in all of the headlines and is by far the highest of any expenditure category. It is over 44% for 2022 vs 2021 and has even caused consumers to buy 6% less than they did in 2019. Avg Growth Rate: +13.2%, Real: -2.0%. It’s a textbook example of the initial impact of inflation. Consumers are spending more but buying less, even less than they bought 3 years ago.

Relevant Retail – Less Auto, Gas and Restaurants – This the “core” of U.S. retail and accounts for 60+% of Total Retail Spending. There are a variety of channels in this group, so they took a number of different paths through the pandemic. However, their only down month was April 2020. They finished 2020, up +7.1% and 2021 got even better as they reached a record $4.50T. They have led the way in Total Retail’s recovery which became widespread across the channels. Sales fell in January and February, turned up in March, flattened in April, then grew in May. All months in 2022 set new records but their YTD increase is now 23.4% below their 9.4% avg growth since 2019. Now, we’ll look at the impact of inflation. 65.8% of their 31% growth since 2019 is real. However real sales vs 2021 are down -1.8% for the month and -0.4% YTD. This shows that inflation is only a 2022 problem. Their Avg Growth Rate: +9.4%, Real: +6.4%. The performance of this huge group is critically important. This is where America shops. Real YTD sales are down 0.4% so the amount of products that consumers bought in 2022 is actually less than in 2021. They just paid more. That’s not good.

The impact of inflation is truly beginning to Hit home. All groups but Restaurants now have no monthly or YTD real growth vs 2021. Both Auto & Gas Stations are even “really down” vs YTD 2019. Added together, this has produced 3 straight months of real monthly and YTD drops for Total Retail. We are now in Phase II of inflation. Consumer spending increases but the amount bought declines. With 3 straight down months, the Auto Group is likely in Phase III, when consumers actually cut back on spending. If inflation continues, this worsening situation will become more widespread.

Here’s a more detailed look at May by Key Channels

• Relevant Retail: Avg Growth Rate: +9.4%, Real: +6.4%. 9 channels were up vs April and vs May 2021. This was enough to set a May $ales record. 10 were up YTD vs 2021 but you will see the negative impact of inflation in the real numbers.
• All Dept Stores – This group was struggling before COVID, and the pandemic hit them hard. They began to recover in March 2020 and have continued to grow in 2022. Their YTD numbers turned positive vs 2019 in April but in May they are still down in real terms in all measurements vs both 2019 & 2021. Avg Growth: +0.04%, Real: -2.6%.
• Club/SuprCtr/$ – They fueled a big part of the overall recovery because they focus on value which has broad consumer appeal. Inflation is a big factor in their current numbers. While May sales are up from April and vs May 2021 and YTD, their real numbers are down and only 41.2% of their 17.7% lift from 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +5.6%, Real: +2.4%.
• Grocery – These essential stores depend on frequent purchases, so except for the binge buying in 2020, their changes are generally less radical. Inflation has hit Groceries hard. Monthly and YTD increases vs 2021 are strong but inflation is stronger. Real sales are down and only 24.5% of the growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +6.3%, Real: +1.6%.
• Health/Drug Stores – At least the drug stores in this group are essential, but consumers visit far less frequently than Grocery stores. Most of their COVID ride has been rather calm. Their inflation rate is low and sales are positive in all measurements. Plus, 90% of their 13.3% growth from 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +4.2%, Real: +3.8%.
• Clothing and Accessories – They were nonessential, and clothes mattered less when you stayed home. That changed in March 2021 and resulted in explosive growth which has continued through 2022. $ are up 5.9% from April and they’re positive in all measurements. Also, 89% of their growth from 2019 is real. Avg Growth: 5.1%, Real: 4.6%.
• Home Furnishings – They were also less impacted by COVID. Sales dipped Mar>May in 2020. Then as consumers’ focus turned to their homes, furniture became a priority. Inflation on Furniture is very high, so growth is slowing and their real numbers vs 2021 are negative. Only 32.4% of their growth since 2019 is real. Avg Growth: +6.9%, Real: +2.4%.
• Electronic & Appliances – Look at the graph. This channel has problems beyond the pandemic. Sales fell in Apr>May of 2020 and didn’t reach 2019 levels until March 2021. Sales are up from April but are down across the board vs 2021. The increase from April and deflation has turned sales positive vs 2019 but only +0.9%. Avg Growth: +0.30%, Real: +0.26%.
• Building Material, Farm & Garden & Hardware –They truly benefited from the consumers’ focus on home. After slowing in April, this year’s spring lift is restarting but at a lower level than 2021. When you factor in strong, double-digit inflation, the amount sold vs 2021 is significantly lower for both May and YTD. 61.5% of their strong 36.6% sales growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +11.0%, Real: +7.0%.
• Sporting Goods, Hobby and Book Stores – Consumers turned their attention to recreation and Sporting Goods stores sales took off. Book & Hobby Stores recovered more slowly. Sales were up in May which made the month and YTD $ up vs 2021. However, all “real” measurements are down vs 2021. Inflation in this group is lower than most groups and most comes from Sporting Goods. 79% of their 36.8% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +11.0%, Real: +8.8%.
• All Miscellaneous Stores – Pet Stores have been a key part of the strong and growing recovery of this group. They finished 2020 +0.9% but sales took off in March 21. They set a new monthly $ales record in December. In April & now May, they moved to the top spot in both monthly & YTD lifts vs 2021. Their YTD growth since 2019 is 2^nd only to NonStore. Plus, 83% of the 44.8% growth since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +13.1%, Real: +11.1%.
• NonStore Retailers – 90% of their volume comes from Internet/Mail Order/TV. The pandemic accelerated online spending. They ended 2020 +21.4%. The growth continued in 2021. In December monthly sales exceeded $100B for the 1^st time and they broke the $1 Trillion barrier for the year. Their Growth has slowed significantly in 2022 but all measurements are positive. 89% of their 71.6% increase since 2019 is real. Their Avg Growth is: +19.7%, Real: +17.8%.

Note: Almost without exception, online sales by brick ‘n mortar retailers are recorded with their regular store sales.

Recap – The Retail recovery from the pandemic was largely driven by Relevant Retail. While the timing varied between channels, by the end of 2021 it had become very widespread. In late 2021 and now in 2022, a new challenge came to the forefront – extreme inflation. It isn’t the worst in history, but it is the biggest increase in prices in 40 years. Moreover, each month it is getting worse. On the surface, the impact is almost invisible. Sales in the total market and in the Relevant Retail group continue to grow but the growth has slowed markedly. Overall, the market is generally in phase II of strong inflation – spending grows but the amount purchased falls. The channels in the graph above illustrate this perfectly and show how widespread that it has become. 8 of 11 channels are up vs May 2021 and 9 are up YTD. However, when you factor in inflation, only 4 are up for May and 4 for YTD. Inflation is real and there are real and even worse consequences if it continues. To see an example of this, take a look at what is happening in the Auto Group.

Finally, here are the details and updated inflation rates for the CPIs used to calculate the impact of inflation on retail groups and channels. This includes special aggregate CPIs created with the instruction and guidance of personnel from the US BLS. I also researched data from the last Economic Census to review the share of sales by product category for the various channels to help in selecting what expenditures to include in specific aggregates. Of course, none these specially created aggregates are 100% accurate but they are much closer than the overall CPI or available aggregates.

This list raises some questions. Here are some answers to some of the more obvious ones.

1. Why is the group for Non-store different from the Internet?
   1. Non-store is not all internet. It also includes Fuel Oil Dealers, the non-motor fuel Energy Commodity.
2. Why is there no Food at home included in Non-store or Internet?
   1. Online Grocery purchasing is becoming popular but almost all is from companies whose major business is brick ‘n mortar. These online sales are recorded under their primary channel.
3. 6 Channels have the same CPI aggregate but represent a variety of business types.
   1. They also have a wide range of product types. Rather than try to build aggregates of a multitude of small expenditure categories, it seemed better to eliminate the biggest, influential groups that they don’t sell. This method is not perfect, but it is certainly closer than any existing aggregate.
4. Why are Grocery and Supermarkets only tied to the Grocery CPI?
   1. According to the Economic Census, 76% of their sales comes from Grocery products. Grocery Products are the driver. The balance of their sales comes from a collection of a multitude of categories.
5. What about Drug/Health Stores only being tied to Medical Commodities.
   1. An answer similar to the one for Grocery/Supermarkets. However, in this case Medical Commodities account for over 80% of these stores’ total sales.
6. Why do SuperCtrs/Clubs and $ Stores have the same CPI?
   1. While the Big Stores sell much more fresh groceries, Groceries account for ¼ of $ Store sales. Both Channels generally offer most of the same product categories, but the mix of actual products is substantially different.