Through November30, 2018. Data are seasonally adjusted and include automobiles and gasoline.
Source: US Census Bureau
Total seasonally adjusted retail sales including automobiles and gasoline grew 4.0% year over year in November, slower than the October’s 4.5% (revised from the advance estimate published last month),according to the US Census Bureau.
Excluding automobiles and gasoline, total sales increased 5.1% year over year in November, versus 5.6% growth in October.
November sales increased 4.1% year over year at clothing and clothing accessories stores, 3.0% at grocery stores and 3.6% at general merchandise stores, with a 0.2% decline in department store sales. Nonstore retailers registered year-over-year sales growth of 10.8%.
On a month-over-month basis and seasonally adjusted, retail sales increased 0.3% in November.
In-Store Metrics
Conv. = conversion rate, ATV = average transaction value, SY = shopper yield, Tran. = number of transactions and % Return = percentage of goods returned to stores.
Source: RetailNext
Store-based sales and traffic declined in November, while the conversion rate grew by 0.4%, according to RetailNext. This month’s revival followed two months of conversion rate decline.Average transaction value recorded its strongest growth in the past year at 3.2% and the rate of product returnsgrew0.3%.
- Retail traffic declined by 8.3% year over year in November, which is the steepest decline seen this year.
- Shopper yield (sales divided by traffic) increased4.6% year over year in November,the largest increase this year.The number of transactions declined7.1%.
All geographic regions posted in-store sales and traffic declines in November compared to the same period last year. The North east experienced the largest year-over-year in-store sales decline, with sales down 7.6%, whereas the Midwest reported the smallest decline, with sales down 4.0%.
Black Friday (November 23) registered the best performance of all days in the month on sales, traffic, average transaction value and number of transactions. Cyber Monday (November 26)recorded the best performance on conversion rate and shopper yield. That said, the overall Black Friday weekend experienced a 7.6% decline in sales and a 7.1% decline in traffic, according to RetailNext.
