U.S. retail sales increased across the board, with these products benefiting the most

Data released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday showed that overall U.S. sales rose 5.3 % in January from the previous month, the first monthly increase since September, with all major categories rising sharply.

Non-store sales surge 29%

Last month, consumer spending in non-store channels increased 29.0% from January 2020, according to a Digital Commerce 360 ​​analysis of monthly estimates released Wednesday by the Commerce Department . ( Non-store sales are primarily online but also include other sales such as through call centers, door-to-door visits and vending machines.)

This is the highest growth rate ever in January, 10 percentage points higher than the 18.0% in January 2000 and nearly 3.5 times higher than the growth rate of 8.3% in January 2020.

Continued growth in the online sector drove retail performance in January, with growth in non-store channels accounting for more than half (50.6%) of all retail gains for the month.

This shows that the penetration rate of e-commerce is getting higher and higher, and consumers prefer to shop through non-store channels.

Furniture, electronics and other products are the most popular

Furniture, electronics, clothes, sporting equipment, restaurant food and groceries were the top products people bought last month, according to data reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday.

“The surge in retail sales in January was helped by further government stimulus,” said Ted Rossman, credit card analyst at Bankrate.com.

" E-commerce, electronics and furniture have been the biggest beneficiaries," Rossman said . "We're even seeing signs of recovery from department stores and apparel retailers, which have lagged for much of the past year. "

E-commerce market may continue to grow

The strong sales data sends a very positive signal for the development of the retail industry, indicating that consumer confidence is rising sharply, but the physical retail industry still faces challenges.

“Our weekly consumer surveys indicate that consumers remain reluctant to shop in person, with 86% avoiding public places, ” said Deborah Weinswig, CEO and principal of Coresight Research , a global retail consulting and research firm .

This is a sign that the e-commerce industry has huge room for development, and as consumer confidence gradually increases, the e-commerce market may continue to grow strongly.

USA

E-commerce

Retail Sales