by Calculated Risk on 3/17/2020 08:36:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales decreased 0.5 percent from January to February (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 4.3 percent from February 2019.

From the Census Bureau report:

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for February 2020, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $528.1 billion, a decrease of 0.5 percent from the previous month, but 4.3 percent above February 2019.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

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

Retail sales ex-gasoline were down 0.3% in February.

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

Retail and Food service sales, ex-gasoline, increased by 4.9% on a YoY basis.

The decrease in February was well below expectations, however sales in December and January were revised up, combined.

Note: The graphs show the 2020 recession starting in March 2020.