by Freedonia Industry Studies
July 27, 2021
The most recent retail sales report for June 2021 showed overall growth in retail activity, boosted in part by two key trends – price increases and continued opening of the economy. Ongoing concerns about plateauing vaccination trends and the spread of the Delta variant put some moderating pressure on trends.
Overall, retailers that saw the best gains had stocks and services that were linked to the away-from-home experience or simply benefited from the change of seasons and the warmer summer weather. Specifically, food service establishments and apparel retailers saw the best gains.
Some categories – including auto sales -- slumped amid ongoing supply chain challenges. Additionally, categories associated with home – such as furniture, sporting goods, and building materials retailers – slowed from May levels.
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