Archive for category: Pet Market Distribution Channels

Time for our monthly update on U.S. retail sales by channel. The current COVID-19 crisis has caused turmoil in the Retail Marketplace. Consumer spending behavior has changed and continues to evolve. In this report we will track the changes and migration between channels. We will do that with data from two reports provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reports are the Monthly Retail Sales Report and the Advance Retail Sales Report. 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 – approximately 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 will look at the latest release of both reports. We will begin with the Final Retail Report from December and then move to the Advance Retail Report for January. This will allow us to look at both the final numbers for 2020 and do an initial comparison of January 2021 vs 2020.

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 one year ago.
• Current YTD change – % & $ vs 2019 (Note: In the January Advance we will compare January 2020 to 2019)
• Monthly and Year To Date $ will also be shown for each group/channel

First, the December Final. U.S. Retail hit bottom in April then began to recover. December $ were up from November, and still growing vs 2019. Here are the major retail groups. (The Data in all graphs is Actual, Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The final total is $3.4B less than the Advance report projected a month ago. All but Gas Stations were down but most of the reduction came from Relevant Retail: -$2.5B; Restaurants: -$0.1B; Auto: -$0.6B; Gas Stations: N/C. All groups were up vs November and set a new record Total Retail $ peak. YTD Total $ales finished more positive vs 2019 thanks to another strong month from Relevant Retail and Auto. The Auto segment finally beat 2019 $, but Restaurants and Gas Stations are down -$229B. Relevant Retail was the driving force in turning Total YTD sales positive vs 2019.

Now, let’s see how some Key Pet Relevant channels were doing in December.

• Overall– $ in 10 of 11 groups were up vs November and 9 were up vs December 2019 and YTD. That’s very good.
• Building Material Stores – Their “Spring” lift continued through Summer, Fall and now Winter. While sales peaked in June, they’re still showing double digit % increases vs 2019. Sporting Goods stores are not included in this group, but they have a similar Spring lift pattern. Their sales took off in May, and ultimately hit a record peak in December. In June, their YTD $ vs 2019 turned positive and by yearend they were up 16.6%.
• Food & Drug – Supermarket $ slowed in Aug, Sep & Nov but turned up in October & December. They finished 2020 up +$77.7B. Drug Stores $ dipped in Aug & Nov but increased in Sep, Oct & Dec. They ended up +$17B.
• General Merchandise Stores – $ in Clubs/SuperCtrs slowed in September then grew in Oct>Dec. They finished at +$33.2B vs 2019. $ Stores sales slowed from June>Sept but grew in Oct>Dec and ended 2020 +12.0% vs 2019. Discount Dept. store sales were slowing before the pandemic. This trend continues despite their Nov>Dec lift.
• Office, Gift & Souvenir Stores– A 44% lift after a 28% November drop . A holiday lift but recovery is long way off.
• Internet/Mail Order – The pandemic has accelerated this channel’s growth vs 2019. $ hit another record peak in December. Many consumers have discovered online shopping and the behavior is likely to become habitual.
• A/O Miscellaneous – This is a group of small to midsized specialty retailers – chains and independents. It includes Florists, Art Stores and Pet Stores (22 to 24% of total $). Pet Stores were usually essential, but most stores were not. The others began reopening in May. That number grew in June and YTD $ surpassed 2019. Sales have been stable and strong vs 2019 since then and peaked in December. Their 2020 total sales were up +11.6%.

The recovery began in May and accelerated in June>July as even more businesses began to re-open. The Relevant Retail Segment was positive in all measurements in May>July. In Aug>Sept $ slowed but were still strong vs 2019. In Oct>Dec $ turned up and reached a record peak. The key drivers in the positive numbers vs 2019 were the Internet, Supermarkets, SuperCtrs/Clubs/$ Stores and Hdwe/Farm.  Now, how is 2021 starting off? Here are the Advance numbers for January.

April & May 2020 were the 2 biggest spending drops in history. Then sales began to recover and in October YTD Total Retail turned positive for the 1^st time since February. Sales dipped in November but not vs 2019 . In December, Total Retail set a sales record. In January, as expected, $ fell but still set a new record high. All but Gas Stations and Restaurants are up from 2020.

Total Retail – Total Retail spending hit a record $616.6B in December and 2020 finished +$37B vs 2019. As usual, $ plummeted in January but still hit a record $509B, $27.9B ahead of 2020 and $51.7B ahead of 2019. (add the $ changes in the 2 columns to get status vs 2019). Remember, the impact of the pandemic didn’t begin until March 2020.

Restaurants – Spending was basically unchanged vs December but down $9.6B versus 2020, which shows the continuing impact of the pandemic on this group. Last January, $ fell 7% from December but were up 7.1% from 2019. Normally, January and February are the 2 slowest months, but they finished on top last year. Their 2020 totals were down $149B,  -19.5%. Recovery is still a long way off. If 2019 $ are the target for a return to normal, then they are only down $5.6B.

Automobile & Gas Stations – When you are staying home your car becomes less of a focus in your life. Auto Dealers began combating this attitude with fantastic deals and a lot of advertising. Monthly $ turned positive versus 2019 in June and stayed that way, finishing 2020 at +1.0% vs 2019. 2021 started even stronger, +10.4%. Gas Station $ales hit bottom in April and have been up and down ever since. However, sales have remained consistently about 16% below 2019. They finished 2020 -$79.6B (-15.9%). January began down $3.4B but we should note that $ were up $0.1B vs 2019.

Relevant Retail – Less Auto, Gas and Restaurants – Many non-essential businesses shuttered their doors in March but there was a rash of binge/panic buying for “necessities”, especially groceries, which drove spending up $19B. April brought a full month of closures and an end in binge buying, spending dropped $34B from March. In May, the overall market began to reopen so spending began to move in the right direction and growth continued through July. $ales fell in Aug/Sept but turned up again in Oct>Dec, reaching a record $412.9B in December. For 2020, they were up $252.9B, +6.8%. That brought us to January. Sales fell 22.5% (-$92.7B) from December. However, that was less than the 24.5%     (-$93.7B) drop in 2020. So $ are up 10.8%, triple the 3.6% from a year ago and the Relevant Retail group now has posted positive numbers versus last year and YTD for 9 consecutive months. The primary drivers continue to be Nonstore, Grocery, SuperCenters/Clubs/$ Stores plus a radically extended “spring lift” from Hardware/Farm and Sporting Goods.

Now let’s look at what is happening in the individual retail channels. After a record December, relevant retail $ took an expected plunge in January but was still +$31.3B vs 2020. Let’s see where the $ came from. These groups are less defined than in the Final Monthly reports and we will look across the whole market, not just pet relevant outlets.

In December, all 13 channels beat last month’s $. In January they were all down. 10 channels beat January 2020 $. Last year 12 beat 2019 $. However, the 2021 increases were generally significantly higher than 2020. Clothing stores had the biggest decrease vs 2020 but Department stores are the only channel with decreases in both years.

After April’s widespread closures there was a retail surge in May, but things truly opened up in June/July. In Aug/Sept, sales slowed but growth began again in October and peaked with a record December. Relevant Retail finished up $252.9B vs 2019 and started 2021 strong, +10.8%. Essential channels are responsible for the continued lift, primarily:

• Nonstore Retailers – Even more consumers are online shopping.
• Food & Beverage, especially Grocery– Restaurant $ are still down so consumers continue to eat & drink at home.
• Bldg Materials/Garden/Farm– Their “Spring” lift continues unabated as consumers focus on their home.
• SuperCtrs/Club/Value/$ Strs – Sales slowed in April but came back in May and continue to grow vs the previous year. They turned the whole Gen Mdse channel positive. It clearly shows that value is still a consumer priority.

Regarding the Individual Large Channels

General Merchandise Stores – As expected Sales dropped in January after the holiday lift with the biggest % decrease coming from Department Stores. Their problems were amplified by the pandemic but existed before as they are the only channel down in January vs a year ago for 2 consecutive years. Club/SuperCtr/$ stores are still the big positive force. They finished 2020 up $33B, +7.4% and started off 2021 at +9.6%, considerably better than the +3.5% in January 2020.

Food and Beverage, plus Health & Personal Care Stores – The Grocery segment is still strong and growing, +11.3% in January, due to the continuing big drop in restaurant sales. Sales in the Health, Personal Care group turned positive vs 2019 in September and finished +1.7%. They started 2021 even better, +3.3%. Drug Store $ growth has been the driver.

Clothing and Accessories; Electronic & Appliances; Home Furnishings – Except for September, monthly sales have grown every month since May. All 3 channels finished the year down significant percentages in sales vs 2019. Clothing Stores have been the worst performers and that continued in January. Home Furnishing stores may be breaking the pattern in 2021. In January, their sales were up 9.3% vs 2020. Perhaps their recovery has truly begun.

Building Material, Farm & Garden & Hardware – Sales peaked in late spring, as usual. However, this channel continues to benefit from consumers turning their focus to their home needs, including house and yard repair and improvements. Their Spring lift extended into winter and they finished +$53B (+13.8%). No change for 2021 – January $ +13.7% vs 2020.

Sporting Goods, Hobby and Book Stores – Book and Hobby stores are open and sales in Sporting Goods stores have taken off as Consumers are seeking more recreation. They were down -$3.4B in April. This deficit was wiped out in September and driven by Sporting Goods stores, sales exploded in December. They ended 2020 up $4.4B, +5.5%. January 2021 sales fell 35.8% from December but they are still up an amazing 22.0% vs January 2020.

All Miscellaneous Stores – This group is mostly small to medium specialty stores – both chains and independents. Pet Stores are essential but most other stores are not, so closures hit this group particularly hard. Sales hit bottom at -$3.8B in April then began to rebound in May and grew through July when they finally beat the monthly sales for 2019. Sales seesawed up and down but finished with a strong December. They ended 2020 down $1.0B, -0.7%. They started out 2021 +6.9% but this is only about half of the +13.3% start in 2020. We’ll see how their recovery progresses in 2021.

NonStore Retailers – 90% of the volume of this group comes from Internet/Mail Order/TV businesses. The COVID-19 crisis has only accelerated the ongoing movement to online retail. In February NonStore was up 8.6% YTD. In December monthly sales exceeded $100B for the 1^st time. They ended 2020 at +21.9%, +$173.9B YTD. Their increase is 69% of the total $ increase for Relevant Retail Channels. Their 2020 performance far exceeds their 12.9% annual increase in 2019 and they started off 2021 even better, +22.1%. Last January, in pre-pandemic times, they were only up 7.1%.

Note: Almost without exception, online sales by brick ‘n mortar retailers are recorded along with their store sales in their regular channel. Whether they are up or down, their online sales are included in the totals.

Recap – April and May saw the 2 biggest year over year monthly sales declines in history. Restaurants, Auto and Gas Stations increased sales from May through July, but results were mixed until yearend. The Auto segment did beat 2019 YTD $ in December, but Restaurants and Gas Stations finished down -$229B. The Relevant Retail segment was the only true positive. Sales began to recover in May and hit a record high in December. They finished 2020 up $253B but for some segments in this group there is still a long way to go. Total Retail Sales passed 2019 in October, set a new monthly $ record in December and ended the year +$37B (+0.6%) vs 2019. In 2021 Relevant Retail and Auto both began the year at +10% vs 2020, much better than last year. For Restaurants and Gas Stations the problems continue as both started off 2021 down significantly vs 2020. Thanks to Auto and Relevant Retail, Total Retail is +5.8% vs 2020. (last year they were +5.2%) However, this is an ongoing battle. We will continue to monitor the data and provide you with regular updates.

Time for our monthly update on U.S. retail sales by channel. The current COVID-19 crisis has caused turmoil in the Retail Marketplace. Consumer spending behavior has changed and continues to evolve. In this report we will track the changes and migration between channels. We will do that with data from two reports provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reports are the Monthly Retail Sales Report and the Advance Retail Sales Report. 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 – approximately 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.

This means to get the full picture in our monthly channel update we need to look at the latest release of both reports. We will begin with the Final Retail Report from September and then move to the Advance Retail Report for October. This will also allow us to better track the consumers’ evolving spending behavior in terms of channel migration.

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 2019
• Current YTD change – % & $ vs 2019
• Monthly and Year To Date $ will also be shown for each group/channel

First, the September Final report. The retail market hit bottom in April then began a slow recovery. Sales $ peaked in July but are growing vs 2019. Here are the major retail groups. (The Data in all graphs is Actual, Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The final total is $2.8B more than the Advance report projected a month ago. Auto $ were the same as projected. Everyone else was up. Relevant Retail: +$2.5B; Restaurants:+$0.1B; Gas Stations:+$0.2B. $ales were still down from the  peak in all groups. However, driven by Relevant Retail, +$38B and Auto, +$14B, monthly sales were up $38B vs 2019.

An August > September decline in sales is normal. In 2019 the drop was -9%. In 2020 the drop was much smaller, only -3% , which is a good sign for a retail recovery. However, all groups but Relevant Retail are still down YTD vs 2019.

Now, let’s see how some Key Pet Relevant channels were doing in September.

• Overall – $ in 7 of 11 groups were down vs August, but 10 of 11 were up vs September 2019 and 9 were up YTD.
• Building Material Stores – This group has their biggest annual lift in Spring. This is unchanged and even stronger. While sales peaked in June, they’re still showing strong increases vs 2019. Although Sporting Goods stores are not included in this group, they have a similar Spring lift pattern. Their sales took off in May, peaked in June but continued to grow vs 2019. In June, their YTD $ vs 2019 turned positive and by September they were up 13.1%.
• Food & Drug – $ fell in August & September but Supermarkets are maintaining incredibly strong growth vs 2019. Drug Stores $ bounced back after a decline in August and remain positive compared to 2019.
• General Merchandise Stores – $ in Clubs/SuperCtrs stabilized in June and fell in September but are still strong vs 2019. Despite slowed sales in June>Sept, $ Stores are showing exceptional strength vs 2019. Discount Dept. store sales were generally slowing before the pandemic. This trend has continued despite a small Summer lift.
• Office, Gift and Souvenir Stores – They were slow to re-open. $ grew but now are stable. They were hit hard.
• Internet/Mail Order – The pandemic has accelerated this channel’s growth vs 2019. Sales peaked in August, but the crisis has introduced many new consumers to online shopping and the behavior is likely to become habitual.
• A/O Miscellaneous – This is a group of small to midsized specialty retailers – chains and independents. It includes Florists, Art Stores and Pet Stores (22 to 24% of total $). Pet Stores were usually essential, but most stores were not. The others began reopening in May and the number grew in June which produced an increase vs 2019. Sales peaked in July but stabilized and remain strong vs 2019. In fact, YTD sales are up +10.2%.

The recovery began in May and continued in June and July as even more businesses began to re-open. The Relevant Retail Segment turned positive in all measurements in May and stayed that way through July. In August & September, sales fell but remained strong vs 2019. The key drivers in the positive numbers vs 2019 were the Internet, Supermarkets, SuperCtrs/Clubs/$ Stores and Hdwe/Farm.  How are things progressing? Here are the Advance numbers for October.

April and May were the 2 biggest spending drops in history. In June, monthly sales turned positive for the first time since February. The recovery continued in July but flattened out in Aug/Sept. In October, all groups spent more than in September. This lift turned YTD Total Retail positive for the 1^st time since February.

Total Retail – Total Retail spending rose +$23.1B vs September and was up +6.0% vs October 2019. In February 2020 sales were up $60B, +6.6% YTD versus 2019. Then came COVID-19. Hopefully, we hit bottom at -$112B in May. We began moving in the right direction and finally broke even in October up $1.1B YTD but still down -$59B from February.

Restaurants – Spending increased +$2.7B from September but was still down -$8.0B vs October 2019. Things remain Topsy Turvy. August is usually their biggest $ month of the year. January and February, normally the 2 slowest months, are on top in 2020. In February YTD sales were up $9B. Then came the forced closures. Re-openings began in May but ran into problems in the Summer. Delivery/Pickup can’t make up the difference as spending is now down $123.5B YTD.

Automobile & Gas Stations – When you are staying home your car becomes less of a focus in your life. Auto Dealers began combating this attitude with fantastic deals and a lot of advertising. Monthly $ turned positive versus 2019 in June and have maintained this pace through October. The result is that this group is now only down -0.3% YTD vs 2019. Gas Station $ales increased in May>July over the previous month but fell in August & September. Sales turned up again in October but remain (-$67.8B YTD) People are still not driving as much, for commuting or road trips.

Relevant Retail – Less Auto, Gas and Restaurants – Many non-essential businesses shuttered their doors in March but there was also a rash of binge/panic buying for “necessities” and a big lift in groceries as consumers focused on home cooking which drove spending up $19B. April brought a full month of closures and an end in binge buying, spending dropped $34B from March. In May, the overall market began to reopen so spending began to move in the right direction. In June and July, the $ growth continued. $ fell in August & September but turned up again in October. We should note that the monthly June>October $ are larger than all months in 2019 but December. The primary drivers have been Nonstore, Grocery and SuperCenters/Clubs & $ Stores along with a big spring lift from the Hardware/Farm and Sporting Goods channels. The Relevant Retail group now has posted positive numbers versus last year and year to date for 6 consecutive months and is up $195.1B YTD (+6.5%) vs 2019. In May when the streak began, it was up +2.7%.

Now let’s look at what is happening in the individual retail channels across America. In October, consumer spending in the relevant retail market grew even more positive versus 2019. Let’s see where the $ came from. These groups are less defined than in the Final Monthly reports and we will look across the whole market, not just pet relevant outlets.

In September only 3 channels beat last months $. In October it was up to 11. In September, 10 channels beat September 2019. This number held in October. In YTD numbers, 8 are showing an increase – the same as September. The YTD decreases are coming from channels that are primarily nonessential businesses.

After a full month of stay at home and widespread closures there was a surge in May. Things truly opened up in June and July and sales continued to increase. In August and September, they slowed then grew again in October. Relevant Retail Channels are up $195.1B vs 2019. The essential channels are responsible for the YTD lift vs 2019, primarily:

• Nonstore Retailers – Even more consumers are online shopping.
• Food & Beverage, especially Grocery– Restaurant $ are still down so consumers continue to eat & drink at home.
• Bldg Materials/Garden/Farm– A big Spring lift continues into the Summer/Fall as consumers focus on their home.
• SuperCtrs/Club/Value/$ Strs – Sales slowed in April but came back in May and continue to grow vs 2019. This group turned the whole Gen Mdse channel positive. It clearly shows that value is still a consumer priority.

Regarding the Individual Large Channels

General Merchandise Stores – Regular Department stores are reopening which has cut the losses for total Department Stores as Discount Department stores continue to slowly fade. Club/SuperCtr/$ stores provided the big positive force. In April consumers dialed back their panic buying and spending on discretionary items was also down significantly. Since May we have seen consumer spending return to a more normal pattern in the big and small stores that promise value.

Food and Beverage, plus Health & Personal Care Stores – The Grocery segment is still driven by increased Food sales due to a slow restart by restaurants, up 10.3%, +$5.9B in October. Monthly Sales in the Health, Personal Care group have been up vs 2019 since June. Since August, the YTD $ have been positive. Drug Store $ growth was a key factor.

Clothing and Accessories; Electronic & Appliances; Home Furnishings – Except for September, monthly sales have grown every month since May. Home Furnishing was the only group with a decrease vs September, but they have had 5 consecutive monthly increases vs 2019. All 3 channels are down significant percentages in YTD sales. Clothing Stores are by far the worst performers. In October they were down 11.3% vs October 2019 and 30.0% YTD.

Building Material, Farm & Garden & Hardware – Sales peaked in the Spring. However, this channel continues to benefit from consumers turning their focus to their home needs, including house and yard repair and improvements. This has extended their Spring lift to Summer/Fall. $ were up 17.0% vs October 2019 and up +$42.9B (+13.2%) YTD.

Sporting Goods, Hobby and Book Stores – Book and Hobby stores are open and sales in Sporting Goods stores have taken off as Consumers again sought outdoor recreation. Although October sales fell again from their June peak, they were up 14.1% vs October 2019. YTD sales were down $3.4B in April. In September, this deficit was wiped out and through October YTD sales were +$1.8B (+2.8%).

All Miscellaneous Stores – This group is mostly small to medium specialty stores – both chains and independents. Pet Stores are essential but most other stores are not, so closures hit this group particularly hard. Sales began to rebound in May and grew through July when they finally beat the monthly sales for 2019. In Aug>Sept sales plateaued then turned up in October. Back In February, this group was up $2.6B YTD. Through July,  they were down -$3.2B but moving in the right direction. The lift in October has put them back on track, -$2.4B. However, they still have a long road ahead.

NonStore Retailers – 90% of the volume of this group comes from Internet/Mail Order/TV businesses. The COVID-19 crisis has only accelerated the ongoing movement to online retail. In February NonStore was up 8.6% YTD. In October they reached a new monthly sales peak for the year and they are up 21.9%, +$137.2B YTD. Their increase is 70% of the total $ increase for Relevant Retail Channels. They are the clear leader, and their performance far exceeds their 12.9% annual increase in 2019. Since much of their annual increase comes from holiday sales, 2020 could be another great year for NonStore Retailers.

Note: Almost without exception, online sales by brick ‘n mortar retailers are recorded along with their store sales in their regular channel. Whether they are up or down, their online sales are included in the totals.

Recap – April and May saw the 2 biggest year over year monthly sales declines in history. Restaurants, Auto and Gas Stations increased sales from May through July. By September, all had decreased sales but $ turned up again in October. The Auto segment is almost back to even in YTD vs 2019 but Restaurants and Gas Stations are still struggling. The Relevant Retail segment has been the only true positive. Sales turned up in October after slowing in Aug>Sep. Monthly and YTD sales vs 2019 are up for 6 consecutive months. However, for some segments in this group there is still a long way to go. Total Retail reached a new $ peak in October and edged past YTD 2019, +$1.1B (+0.02%). Now the virus is resurging, and retail restrictions may be reimposed in many areas. This is going to be a long battle with no end in sight.

We will continue to monitor the data and provide you with regular updates.

Time for our monthly update on U.S. retail sales by channel. The current COVID-19 crisis has caused turmoil in the Retail Marketplace. Consumer spending behavior has changed and continues to evolve. In this report we will track the changes and migration between channels. We will do that with data from two reports provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reports are the Monthly Retail Sales Report and the Advance Retail Sales Report. 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 – approximately 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.

This means to get the full picture in our monthly channel update we need to look at the latest release of both reports. We will begin with the Final Retail Report from July and then move to the Advance Retail Report for August. This will also allow us to better track the consumers’ evolving spending behavior in terms of channel migration.

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 2019
• Current YTD change – % & $ vs 2019
• Monthly and Year To Date $ will also be shown for each group/channel

We’ll start with the July Final report. The retail market hit bottom in April then began a slow recovery which continued in July. First, we will look at some major retail groups. (Note: The Data in all graphs is Actual, Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The final total is $2.5B less than the Advance report projected a month ago. All were down slightly from projections. Relevant Retail: -$1B; Auto:-$0.6B less; Restaurants: -$0.3 less and Gas Stations’ $ were -$0.4B. $ales were up vs June across the board. Driven by Relevant Retail, +$30B and Auto, +$8B, Total monthly sales were also up $18.8B vs 2019.

The Spring Lift is usually over by July but the COVID crisis has pushed the Spring timing back. Things began to open up in May and continued into July. However, all but Relevant Retail were still down YTD vs 2019.

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

• Overall – Sales in 5 of 11 groups were down vs June, but 9 of 11 again showed increases vs same month in 2019.
• Building Material Stores – This group has their biggest annual lift in Spring. This is unchanged and even stronger. While sales were down vs June, they still have spectacular increases vs 2019. Although Sporting Goods stores are not included in this group, they have a similar Spring lift pattern. Their sales took off in May and continued to grow spectacularly through June. Although July sales dipped slightly from June, they turned positive YTD in June.
• Food & Drug – After a dip in June vs May Supermarket sales are back up with incredibly strong growth vs 2019. After 2 months of slowed $, Drug Stores came back strong in June and July and remain positive across the board.
• General Merchandise Stores – Sales in Clubs/SuperCtrs slowed down in June but are back up in July and still strong vs 2019. Despite slowed sales in June & July, $ Stores are showing exceptional strength vs 2019. Discount Dept. store sales were generally slowing before the pandemic. This trend has continued despite a small July lift.
• Office, Gift and Souvenir Stores – They were slow to re-open. Sales are growing, but this group was hit hard.
• Internet/Mail Order – The pandemic has accelerated this channel’s growth vs 2019. Sales vs June were flat, but the crisis has introduced many new consumers to online shopping and the behavior is likely to become habitual.
• A/O Miscellaneous – This is a group of small to midsized specialty retailers – chains and independents. It includes Florists, Art Stores and Pet Stores (22 to 24% of total $). Pet Stores were usually essential, but most stores were not. The others began reopening in May and the number grew in June which produced an increase vs 2019. July was down slightly from June but was strong vs 2019 which pushed YTD sales up to +9.0%.

May began a slow recovery which continued in June and July as even more businesses began to re-open. The Relevant Retail Segment turned positive in all measurements in May and has stayed that way through July. Although many segments are now contributing, the Internet, Supermarkets, SuperCtrs/Clubs/$ Stores and Hdwe/Farm are the key drivers. Let’s see how the situation is progressing. Here are the Advance numbers for August.

April and May were the 2 biggest spending drops in history. In June, monthly sales turned positive for the first time since February. In July the recovery continued. However, it flattened out in August leaving Total Retail still down -$74B YTD.

Total Retail – Total Retail spending increased $0.6B, +0.1% vs 2019, a big change from +3.9% in July and +3.4% in June. In February 2020 sales were up $60B, +6.6% YTD versus 2019. Then came COVID-19. Hopefully, we hit bottom at -$112B in May. We began moving in the right direction but have stalled in August, still -$74B YTD and -$134B from February.

Restaurants – The Spending increase slowed to +$2.1B over July and sales were down $11.6B vs 2019. This is important as August is usually their biggest $ month of the year. January and February, normally the 2 slowest months, are on top in 2020. In February YTD sales were up $9B. Then came the forced closures. Re-openings began in May but ran into problems in July and August. Delivery/Pickup can’t make up the difference as spending is now down $106.7B YTD.

Automobile & Gas Stations – When you are staying home your car becomes less of a focus in your life. Auto Dealers, both new and used, began combating this attitude with some fantastic deals and a lot of advertising. Sales turned positive versus 2019 in June, grew strongly in July, then slowed a bit in August. Although sales are down $28.6B YTD, they are up $20B vs 2019 in the last 3 months. Gas Station $ales increased in May, June and July over the previous month, but fell in August – Down $56.6B YTD. People are still not driving as much, whether for commuting or road trips.

Relevant Retail – Less Auto, Gas and Restaurants – Many non-essential businesses began to shutter their doors in March but there was also a rash of binge/panic buying for “necessities” and a big lift in groceries as consumers focused on home cooking which drove spending up $19B. April brought a full month of closures and an end in binge buying, spending dropped $34B from March. In May, the overall market began to reopen so spending began to move in the right direction. In June and July the growth continued but it slowed in August. However, the monthly June>August $ are larger than all months in 2019 but December. The primary drivers have been Nonstore, Grocery and SuperCenters/Clubs & $ Stores along with an enhanced spring lift from the Hardware/Farm and Sporting Goods channels. The Relevant Retail group now has posted positive numbers versus last year and year to date for 4 consecutive months and is up $118B YTD (+4.9%) vs 2019. In July it was up +4.8%.

Now let’s look at what is happening in the individual retail channels across America. In August, consumer spending in the relevant retail market grew even more positive versus 2019. Let’s see where the $ came from. These groups are less defined than in the Final Monthly reports and we will look across the whole market, not just pet relevant outlets.

In July, 11 of 13 channels beat last month’s $. In August it was down to 7. In July, 10 channels beat July 2019. In August, this number was down to 7. However, in YTD numbers, 8 are now showing an increase as Health & Personal Care joined the group. The YTD decreases are coming from channels that are primarily nonessential businesses.

After a full month of stay at home and widespread closures there was a surge in May. Things truly opened up in June and July and sales continued to increase. In August they slowed slightly but YTD Relevant Retail Channels are up $117.9B vs 2019. The essential channels are responsible for the YTD lift vs 2019, primarily:

• Nonstore Retailers – Even more consumers are online shopping.
• Food & Beverage, especially Grocery– Restaurant $ are still down so consumers continue to eat & drink at home.
• Bldg Materials/Garden/Farm – A bigger than usual Spring lift continues as consumers focus “on their home”.
• SuperCtrs/Club/Value/$ Strs – Sales slowed in April but came back in May and continue to grow. This group turned the whole Gen Mdse channel positive. It clearly shows that value is still a consumer priority.

Regarding the Individual Large Channels

General Merchandise Stores – Regular Department stores are reopening which has cut the losses for total Department Stores as Discount Department stores continue to slowly fade. Club/SuperCtr/$ stores provided the big positive force. In April consumers dialed back their panic buying and spending on discretionary items was also down significantly. Since May we have seen consumer spending return to a more normal pattern in the big and small stores that promise value.

Food and Beverage, plus Health & Personal Care Stores – The Grocery segment is still driven by increased Food sales due to a slow restart by restaurants, up 7.6%, +$4.5B in August. Sales in the Health, Personal Care group were up vs 2019 in June July and August and finally turned positive YTD. Drug Store sales growth was a key factor.

Clothing and Accessories; Electronic & Appliances; Home Furnishings – In August, sales grew for the fourth consecutive month. Home Furnishing has even registered slight increases vs 2019 in July and August. However, all 3 channels are down double digit percentages in YTD sales. Clothing Stores are by far the worst performers. Even though August sales were up 7.4% over July they were still down 23.5% vs August 2019 and 34.9% YTD.

Building Material, Farm & Garden & Hardware – Sales fell again after peaking in June. However, this channel continues to benefit from consumers turning their focus to their home needs, including house and yard repair and improvements. This has accelerated and extended their Spring lift. Sales were up 11.9% vs August 2019 and up +$29.6B (+11.4%) YTD.

Sporting Goods, Hobby and Book Stores – Book and Hobby stores are open and sales in Sporting Goods stores have taken off as Consumers again sought outdoor recreation. Although sales fell again from their June peak, they were up 8% vs August 2019. YTD sales were down $3.4B in April. In August, this deficit had been cut to -$0.3B. If current trends continue, their YTD numbers could turn positive by September.

All Miscellaneous Stores – This group is mostly small to medium specialty stores – both chains and independents. Pet Stores are essential but most other stores are not, so closures hit this group particularly hard. Sales began to rebound in May and grew through July when they finally beat the monthly sales for 2019. In August sales dropped -2.9% vs July and -4.9% vs 2019. In February, this group was up $2.6B YTD. Through July,  they were down -$3.4B but moving in the right direction. That has stopped, at least temporarily as they are now down -$3.9B YTD. They have a long road ahead.

NonStore Retailers – 90% of the volume of this group comes from Internet/Mail Order/TV businesses. The COVID-19 crisis has only accelerated the ongoing movement to online retail. In February NonStore was up 8.6% YTD. In August, despite falling -4.2% from July, they are up 19.6%, +$97.2B YTD. Their increase is 82% of the total $ increase for Relevant Retail Channels. They are the clear leader and their performance far exceeds their 12.9% annual increase in 2019. Since much of their annual increase comes from holiday sales, 2020 looks to be another banner year for NonStore Retailers.

Note: Almost without exception, online sales by brick ‘n mortar retailers are recorded along with their store sales in their regular channel. Whether they are up or down, their online sales are included in the totals.

Recap – April and May saw the 2 biggest year over year monthly sales declines in history. Restaurants, Auto and Gas Stations increased sales from May through July. In August, only restaurants had an increase. The Auto segment is  showing positive monthly numbers vs 2019 but Restaurants and Gas Stations are still struggling. The Relevant Retail segment has been the only true positive. Although August sales are lower than July, monthly and YTD sales vs 2019 are up for 4 consecutive months. However, for many segments in this group there is still a long way to go. In July Total Retail was positive for the second consecutive month but it turned essentially flat in August. We saw a resurgence of the virus and retail restrictions were reimposed in many areas, which contributed to sales declining from July. This is going to be a long battle with no end in sight. We will continue to monitor the data and provide you with regular updates.

Time for our monthly update on U.S. retail sales by channel. The current COVID-19 crisis has caused turmoil in the Retail Marketplace. Consumer spending behavior has changed and continues to evolve. In this report we will track the changes and migration between channels. We will do that with data from two reports provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reports are the Monthly Retail Sales Report and the Advance Retail Sales Report. 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 – approximately 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.

This means to get the full picture in our monthly channel update we need to look at the latest release of both reports. We will begin with the Final Retail Report from June and then move to the Advance Retail Report for July. This will also allow us to better track the consumers’ evolving spending behavior in terms of channel migration.

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 2019
• Current YTD change – % & $ vs 2019
• Monthly and Year To Date $ will also be shown for each group/channel

We’ll start with the June Final report. The retail market hit bottom in April then began a slow recovery which continued in June. First, we will look at some major retail groups. (Note: The Data in all graphs is Actual, Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The final total is $6B more than the Advance report projected a month ago. Relevant Retail and Restaurants were both $2.5B more than expected and the Auto segment was $1B better. Gas Stations’ $ were the same. $ales were up vs May across the board. Driven by Relevant Retail and Auto, Total monthly sales were also up vs 2019.

The Spring Lift is usually winding down in June but the COVID crisis has pushed the Spring timing back. Things began to open up in May and this continued in June. However, all but Relevant Retail were down YTD vs 2019.

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

• Overall – While sales in 6 of 11 groups were down vs May, 9 of 11 showed increases vs June 2019.
• Building Material Stores – This group usually has their biggest annual lift in Spring. This is unchanged and even amplified. While Farm Stores sales were down vs May, they have spectacular increases vs 2019. Although Sporting Goods stores are not included in this group, they have a similar Spring lift pattern. Their sales took off in May and continued to grow spectacularly in June, turning positive for YTD vs 2019.
• Food & Drug – Supermarket sales are down slightly from May but show strong growth vs 2019. After 2 months of slowed sales Drug Stores came back strong in June and are again positive across the board.
• General Merchandise Stores – Sales in $ Stores and Clubs/SuperCtrs slowed down vs May but are still strong vs 2019. $ Stores are showing exceptional strength. Discount Department store sales were generally slowing before the pandemic. This trend has continued and accelerated slightly.
• Office, Gift and Souvenir Stores – In May and June they began to slowly re-open, but this group was hit hard.
• Internet/Mail Order – The pandemic has accelerated this channel’s growth vs 2019. This will likely continue as the crisis has introduced many new consumers to online shopping and the behavior is likely to become habitual.
• A/O Miscellaneous – This is a group of small to midsized specialty retailers – chains and independents. It includes Florists, Art Stores and Pet Stores. Pet Stores account for 22 to 24% of total sales. Pet Stores were usually deemed essential, but most stores were not. The others began reopening in May and the number grew in June which produced an increase vs 2019. Strong early year sales and this rebound pushed YTD sales up 7.9%.

May was the beginning of a slow recovery which continued in June as even more businesses began to re-open. The Relevant Retail Segment turned positive in all measurements in May and stayed that way in June. Although many segments are now contributing, the Internet, Supermarkets, SuperCtrs/Clubs/$ Stores and Hdwe/Farm are the key drivers. Let’s see how the situation is progressing. Here are the Advance numbers for July.

April and May were the 2 biggest spending drops in history. In June, monthly sales turned positive for the first time since February as Total Retail was up $18B vs 2019. In July the recovery continued, +$20B but we’re still down -$74B YTD.

Total Retail – Total Retail spending increased $20.4B, +3.8% vs 2019, slightly more than the +3.4% in June. It’s hard to remember, but in February 2020 sales were up $60B, +6.6% YTD versus 2019. Then came COVID-19. Hopefully, we hit bottom at -$112B in May. We’re moving in the right direction but are still down -$74B YTD and -$134B from February.

Restaurants – Due to the reimplementation of closures in some areas, the Spending increase slowed to +$3.5B over June and sales were down $11.5B vs 2019. In February sales were up $9B. Then came the forced closures. Re-openings began in May but ran into problems in July.  Delivery/Pickup can’t make up the difference as spending is down $95B YTD.

Automobile & Gas Stations – When you are staying home your car becomes less of a focus in your life. Auto Dealers, both new and used, began combating this attitude with some fantastic deals and a lot of advertising. They started winning this battle in June as monthly sales turned positive versus 2019. Although sales are down $31B YTD, they are up $18B vs 2019 in the last 2 months. Gas Station sales increased in May, June and July over the previous month, but they are still down -$49B YTD. People are still not driving as much, whether for commuting or road trips.

Relevant Retail – Less Auto, Gas and Restaurants – Many non-essential businesses began to shutter their doors in March but there was also a rash of binge/panic buying for “necessities” and a big lift in groceries as consumers focused on home cooking which drove spending up $19B. April brought a full month of closures and an end in binge buying, spending dropped $34B from March. In May, the overall market began to reopen so spending began to move in the right direction. In June and now July the growth continued. Although openings became more widespread in June and July the primary drivers have been Nonstore, Grocery and SuperCenters/Clubs & $ Stores along with an enhanced spring lift from the Hardware/Farm and Sporting Goods channels. As a result, the Relevant Retail group now has posted positive numbers versus last month, last year and year to date for 3 consecutive months and is up $100B YTD vs 2019.

Now let’s look at what is happening in the individual retail channels across America. In July, consumer spending in the relevant retail market grew even more positive versus 2019. Let’s see where the $ came from. These groups are less defined than in the Final Monthly reports and we will look across the whole market, not just pet relevant outlets.

The increases were widespread – 11 of 13 channels beat June $ and 10 of 13 channels beat July 2019. However, in YTD numbers, only 7 are showing an increase. The YTD decreases are coming from channels of nonessential businesses.

Observations

 After a full month of stay at home and widespread closures there was a surge in May. Things have truly opened up in June and July and sales continue to increase. However, the essential channels are responsible for the lift vs 2019.

• Nonstore Retailers – Even more consumers are online shopping.
• Food & Beverage, especially Grocery– Restaurant $ are still down so consumers continue to eat & drink at home.
• Sporting Gds/Hobby/Books – Stores re-opened and consumers began to return to outside recreational activities.
• Bldg Materials/Garden/Farm – A bigger than usual Spring lift continues as consumers focus “on their home”.
• SuperCtrs/Club/Value/$ Strs – Sales slowed in April but came back in May and continue to grow. This group turned the whole Gen Mdse channel positive. It clearly shows that value is still a consumer priority.

Regarding the Individual Large Channels

General Merchandise Stores – Regular Department stores are reopening which has cut the losses for total Department Stores as Discount Department stores continue to slowly fade. Club/SuperCtr/$ stores provided the big positive force. In April consumers dialed back their panic buying and spending on discretionary items was also down significantly. Since May we have seen consumer spending return to a more normal pattern in the big and small stores that promise value.

Food and Beverage, plus Health & Personal Care Stores – The Grocery segment is still driven by increased Food sales due to a slow restart by restaurants, up 12.3%, +$7.2B. Sales in the Health, Personal Care group are up vs June and vs July 2019 but remain down YTD. The situation is improving with more reopenings and Drug Store sales growing again.

Clothing and Accessories; Electronic & Appliances; Home Furnishings – As reopening became even more widespread in July, sales grew for the third consecutive month. Home Furnishing even registered a slight increase vs July 2019. However, all 3 channels are down double digit percentages in YTD sales. Clothing Stores are by far the worst performers as sales were down 20% vs July 2019 and 36% YTD.

Building Material, Farm & Garden & Hardware – Sales fell slightly from June, -6.5%. However, this channel continues to benefit from consumers turning their focus to their home needs, including house and yard repair and improvements. This has accelerated and extended their Spring lift. Sales were up 16% vs July 2019 and up +25.5B (+11.3%) YTD.

Sporting Goods, Hobby and Book Stores – Book and Hobby stores are open and sales in Sporting Goods stores have taken off as Consumers again sought outdoor recreation. Although sales fell slightly from June, -3.9% they were up 19% vs July 2019. YTD sales were down $3.4B in April. In July this deficit had been cut to -$0.9B. If current trends continue through the summer, their YTD numbers could turn positive by September or maybe even August.

All Miscellaneous Stores – This group is mostly small to medium specialty stores – both chains and independents. Pet Stores are essential but most other stores are not, so closures hit this group particularly hard. Sales began to rebound in May and continued to grow through July when they finally beat the monthly sales for 2019. In February they were up $2.6B YTD. Through July,  they are down -$3.1B. They are moving in the right direction but still have a long road ahead.

NonStore Retailers – 90% of the volume of this group comes from Internet/Mail Order/TV businesses. The COVID-19 crisis has only accelerated the ongoing movement to online retail. In February NonStore was up 8.6% YTD. In July, they are up 19.8%, +$85.5B. Their increase is 85% of the total $ increase for all Relevant Retail Channels. They are the undisputed leader and their performance far exceeds their 12.9% annual increase in 2019. Since much of their annual increase comes from holiday sales, 2020 is on track to be a banner year for NonStore Retailers.

Note: Almost without exception, online sales by brick ‘n mortar retailers are recorded along with their store sales in their regular channel. Whether they are up or down, their online sales are included in the totals.

Recap – April and May saw the 2 biggest year over year monthly sales declines in history. Restaurants, Auto and Gas Stations increased sales from May through July. The Auto segment is showing positive monthly numbers vs 2019 but Restaurants and Gas Stations are still struggling. The Relevant Retail segment has provided the only true positive as sales are up in all measurements for 3 consecutive months. However, for many segments in this group there is still a long way to go. In July Total Retail was positive for the second consecutive month and Relevant Retail appeared to be moving towards a more routine pattern – a new normal. We have recently seen a resurgence of the virus and retail restrictions are being reimposed in many areas. The impact on retail in July was negligible but this is going to be a long battle with no end in sight. We will continue to monitor the data and provide you with regular updates as the situation evolves.