Online sales grew 62.1% in January, and these categories are the best-selling in the United States

At the beginning of the new year, retail sales in almost all industries in the United States and in all 50 states saw increases.

According to Mastercard   According to SpendingPulse , U.S. retail sales increased 9.2% year-on-year in January , and online sales increased 62.1% compared with 2020. The report covers offline and online spending , but excludes the automotive and gasoline industries .

The report said strong holiday spending drove growth in January and that consumer spending levels were supported by economic stimulus plans .

Southeastern and Western states saw the largest increases

Mastercard   While retail sales increased in all 50 states in January, states in the Southeast and West saw the largest increases, according to SpendingPulse.

In warmer Southern states , there are more outdoor products for consumers to choose from, while in Western states, online sales are growing rapidly .

In addition, e-commerce has become a key driver of sales growth in the U.S. In California, online sales grew 77.4%, driving overall retail sales up 7.9%.

“E-commerce has become a way of life for consumers , and the January data further demonstrates this trend,” said Steve Sadove, senior advisor at Mastercard and former CEO of Saks . “While consumers are saving stimulus money and paying down debt, these numbers show that the stimulus is boosting sales for retailers across the country. ”

Best Sellers in Home Improvement and Grocery Categories

From a national perspective , the main retail trends in the United States since January include the following.

1. Household -related spending is still growing : Household and related spending is still the first choice for consumers , with furniture and decorative items growing by 16.6% , and this category has achieved strong growth for the eighth consecutive month . After the economic stimulus plan, the household goods category and the grocery category saw the largest increase.

2. Professional apparel : After months of working and schooling from home , consumers are investing in their wardrobes again , with online sales of professional apparel up 52.5% in January . Although the industry as a whole is still down ( -4.3% ) , this is the smallest year - over -year decline since March 2020 , when the pandemic began to impact sales .

3. Department Store Industry : The department store industry achieved year-on-year growth (+1.5%) for the first time since 2019, thanks to strong online sales ( +27.9%).

Overall, consumer spending in the United States is increasing due to the economic stimulus plan, which is good news for the retail industry.

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