by Calculated Risk on 3/16/2022 08:42:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales were increased 0.3% from January to February (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 17.6 percent from February 2021.

From the Census Bureau report:

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for February 2022, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $658.1 billion, an increase of 0.3 percent from the previous month, and 17.6 percent above February 2021. ... The December 2021 to January 2022 percent change was revised from up 3.8 percent to up 4.9 percent.
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 0.2% 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 16.1% on a YoY basis.

Sales in February were close to expectations, however, sales in December and January were revised up, combined.