NRF: Retail Sales Rose in June

Retail sales in June climbed for the ninth month in a row, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor and the National Retail Federation (NRF).

“The summer shopping season got off to a strong start in June,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Consumers took advantage of summer sales events, and many got an early jump on back-to-school shopping. The willingness to spend on retail goods has been supported by the retail industry’s laser focus on affordability as well as a durable labor market. Year-over-year gains look particularly strong compared with a weak June 2025.”

Total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, were up 0.33% seasonally adjusted month over month and up 9.41% unadjusted year over year in June, according to NRF. That compared with increases of 0.42% month over month and 7.19% year over year in May.

The Retail Monitor calculation of core retail sales (excluding restaurants in addition to auto dealers and gas stations) was up 0.36% month over month in June and was up 10.08% year over year. That compared with increases of 0.39% month over month and 6.98% year over year in May.

Meanwhile, research firm Numerator reported that prices for everyday household purchases increased 0.70% in June following a 0.51% increase in May. In June, prices for everyday goods were up 3.4% versus a year ago.

Numerator also highlighted that low income and Gen Z consumers continue to experience higher levels of inflation for everyday household goods, as prices have increased 35.7% and 39.4%, respectively, for those groups since January 2018 vs. the 33.8% national average.

Regionally, consumers in the South census region have continued to experience higher levels of inflation since 2018.

Read about how different regions in the c-store industry performed in 2025 in the June 2026 issue of NACS Magazine feature “Regional Reports From the 2026 NACS State of the Industry Summit.” 

Consumer Insights