Retail Sales: The Numbers Don't Lie, But the Narrative Does The latest batch of retail sales data reveals a stark contrast between the headlines and the facts.
Month over month adjusted retail sales are down, but year over year numbers tell a very different story. When we look at total retail sales, year over year, we see a 5. 2% increase from last July's $777.
6 billion to this July's $784. 6 billion. Excluding volatile categories like automobiles and gas stations, the growth rate is still respectable at 4. 9%.