by Calculated Risk on 8/12/2011 08:30:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.5% from June to July (seasonally adjusted, after revisions), and sales were up 8.5% from July 2010. From the Census Bureau report:

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for July, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $390.4 billion, an increase of 0.5 percent from the previous month, and 8.5 percent above July 2010. ... The May to June 2011 percent change was revised from +0.1 percent to +0.3 percent.

Retail sales excluding auto also increased 0.5% in July.

Click on graph for larger image in graph gallery.

This graph shows retail sales since 1992. This is monthly retail sales and food service, seasonally adjusted (total and ex-gasoline).

Retail sales seemed to stall in March, but are now moving higher again.

Retail sales are up 17.4% from the bottom, and now 3.2% above the pre-recession peak.

The second graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993.

Retail sales ex-gasoline increased by 6.9% on a YoY basis (8.5% for all retail sales).

The consensus was for retail sales to increase 0.6% in July, and for a 0.3% increase ex-auto.

The reported increase was slightly below expectations for total retail sales, however including the upward revision for June, this was a solid report.