Retail Channel Monthly $ Update – October Final & November Advance

/in /by

Time for our monthly update on U.S. retail sales by channel. The current COVID-19 crisis has caused turmoil in the Retail Marketplace. Consumer spending behavior has changed and continues to evolve. In this report we will track the changes and migration between channels. We will do that with data from two reports provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reports are the Monthly Retail Sales Report and the Advance Retail Sales Report. Both are derived from sales data gathered from retailers across the U.S. and are published monthly at the same time. The Advance Report has a smaller sample size so it can be published quickly – approximately 2 weeks after month end. The Monthly Final Report includes data from all respondents, so it takes longer to compile the data – about 6 weeks. Although the sample size for the Advance report is smaller, the results over the years have proven it to be statistically accurate with the final monthly reports. The biggest difference is that the full sample in the Final report allows us to “drill” a little deeper into the retail channels.

To get the full picture in our monthly channel update we will look at the latest release of both reports. We will begin with the Final Retail Report from October and then move to the Advance Retail Report for November. This will also allow us to better track the consumers’ evolving spending behavior in terms of channel migration.

Both reports include the following:

  • Total Retail, Restaurants, Auto, Gas Stations and Relevant Retail (removing Restaurants, Auto and Gas)
  • Individual Channel Data – This will be more detailed in the “Final” reports and we fill focus on Pet Relevant Channels

The information will be presented in detailed charts to facilitate visual comparison between groups/channels of:

  • Current Month change – % & $ vs previous month
  • Current Month change – % & $ vs same month in 2019
  • Current YTD change – % & $ vs 2019
  • Monthly and Year To Date $ will also be shown for each group/channel

First, the October Final report. The retail market hit bottom in April then began to recover. October saw a new peak and $ are still growing vs 2019. Here are the major retail groups. (The Data in all graphs is Actual, Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The final total is $1.0B less than the Advance report projected a month ago. All groups were slightly down. Relevant Retail: -$0.4B; Restaurants: -$0.3B; Auto: -$0.2B; Gas Stations: -$0.2B. All groups were up vs September and monthly Total Sales exceeded the previous peak in July. Driven by an exceptionally strong month from Relevant Retail and Auto, YTD Total $ales turned positive for the first time since February. The Auto segment is closing in on 2019 $ but Restaurants and Gas Stations are down -$192B. Relevant Retail remains the only positive group in YTD sales.

Now, let’s see how some Key Pet Relevant channels were doing in October.

  • Overall – $ in 10 of 11 groups were up vs September and 9 were up vs October 2019 and YTD. A strong month.
  • Building Material Stores – Their “Spring” lift continued through Summer and now into Fall. While sales peaked in June, they’re still showing double digit % increases vs 2019. Sporting Goods stores are not included in this group, but they have a similar Spring lift pattern. Their sales took off in May, peaked in June but continued to grow vs 2019. In June, their YTD $ vs 2019 turned positive and by October they were up 14.9%.
  • Food & Drug – After slowing in August & September, Supermarket $ were up again in October and are +$66.9B YTD. Drug Stores $ dipped in August but came back stronger in September and October. They’re +$12.4B YTD.
  • General Merchandise Stores – $ in Clubs/SuperCtrs bounced back after slowing in September and are up $28.5B vs 2019. $ Stores sales slowed from June>Sept but grew again in October and are now +12.6% vs 2019. Discount Dept. store sales were slowing before the pandemic. This trend has continued despite their small lift.
  • Office, Gift and Souvenir Stores – A big lift but still below 2019 $. They were hit hard and have a long way to go.
  • Internet/Mail Order – The pandemic has accelerated this channel’s growth vs 2019. Sales hit a new peak in October. Many new consumers have discovered online shopping and the behavior is likely to become habitual.
  • A/O Miscellaneous – This is a group of small to midsized specialty retailers – chains and independents. It includes Florists, Art Stores and Pet Stores (22 to 24% of total $). Pet Stores were usually essential, but most stores were not. The others began reopening in May and the number grew in June which produced an increase vs 2019. Sales peaked in July but have stabilized and remain strong vs 2019. In fact, YTD sales are up +10.3%.

The recovery began in May and accelerated in June>July as even more businesses began to re-open. The Relevant Retail Segment was positive in all measurements in May>July. In August>September $ slowed but were still strong vs 2019. In October sales grew to a new peak. The key drivers in the positive numbers vs 2019 remain the Internet, Supermarkets, SuperCtrs/Clubs/$ Stores and Hdwe/Farm.  How are things progressing? Here are the Advance numbers for November.

April and May were the 2 biggest spending drops in history. In June, monthly sales increased for the first time since February and continued to grow in July. $ fell in Aug/Sept. but in October, all groups spent more, turning YTD Total Retail positive for the 1st time since February. $ dipped in November but not vs 2019 so the YTD $ vs 2019 increased.

Total Retail – Total Retail spending fell -$7.3B vs October but was up $13.5B vs November 2019. In February 2020 sales were up $60B, +6.6% YTD versus 2019. Then came COVID-19. We hit bottom at -$112B in May and began moving in the right direction. We broke even in October and are now up $14.5B in November but still down -$44.5B from February.

Restaurants – Spending fell -$6.5B from October and -$12.0B vs November 2019. $ales usually drop in November, but not -11.4%. Things remain Topsy Turvy. January and February, normally the 2 slowest months, are on top in 2020. In February YTD sales were up $9B. Then came the forced closures. Re-openings began in May but have run into problems with a resurgence of the virus. Delivery/Pickup can’t make up the difference as spending is now down $135.8B YTD.

Automobile & Gas Stations – When you are staying home your car becomes less of a focus in your life. Auto Dealers began combating this attitude with fantastic deals and a lot of advertising. Monthly $ turned positive versus 2019 in June and have maintained this pace. Although sales dipped in November, this group is now +0.01% YTD vs 2019. Gas Station $ales increased in May>July but fell in August & September. They turned up again in October but were down 10.4% in November. This group is now -$75.4B YTD. People are still not driving as much, for commuting or road trips.

Relevant Retail – Less Auto, Gas and Restaurants – Many non-essential businesses shuttered their doors in March but there was also a rash of binge/panic buying for “necessities” and a big lift in groceries as consumers focused on home cooking which drove spending up $19B. April brought a full month of closures and an end in binge buying, spending dropped $34B from March. In May, the overall market began to reopen so spending began to move in the right direction and this growth continued through July. $ales fell in Aug/Sept but turned up again in Oct/Nov. We should note that the monthly June>November $ are larger than all months in 2019 but December. The primary drivers have been Nonstore, Grocery and SuperCenters/Clubs & $ Stores along with an “extended” spring lift from the Hardware/Farm and Sporting Goods channels. The Relevant Retail group now has posted positive numbers versus last year and year to date for 7 consecutive months and is up $225.6B YTD (+6.8%) vs 2019. In May when the streak began, it was up +2.7%.

Now let’s look at what is happening in the individual retail channels across America. In November, consumer spending in the relevant retail market grew even more positive versus 2019. Let’s see where the $ came from. These groups are less defined than in the Final Monthly reports and we will look across the whole market, not just pet relevant outlets.

In October 11 of 13 channels beat last months $. In November it was down to 9. In September & October 10 channels beat the same month in 2019. This number dipped to 9 in November. In YTD $, 8 are showing an increase, the same as in September & October. The YTD decreases are coming from channels that are primarily nonessential businesses.

After April’s widespread closures there was a retail surge in May. Things truly opened up in June & July and sales continued to increase. In August & September, they slowed then grew again in October & November. Relevant Retail Channels are up $225.6B vs 2019. The essential channels are responsible for the YTD lift vs 2019, primarily:

  • Nonstore Retailers – Even more consumers are online shopping.
  • Food & Beverage, especially Grocery– Restaurant $ are still down so consumers continue to eat & drink at home.
  • Bldg Materials/Garden/Farm– A big Spring lift continues into the Summer/Fall as consumers focus on their home.
  • SuperCtrs/Club/Value/$ Strs – Sales slowed in April but came back in May and continue to grow vs 2019. This group turned the whole Gen Mdse channel positive. It clearly shows that value is still a consumer priority.

Regarding the Individual Large Channels

General Merchandise Stores – Sales grew as we move into the Christmas lift for GM. However, sales for both Regular and Discount Department were fading before the crisis. Club/SuperCtr/$ stores are still the big positive force. In April consumers dialed back their panic buying and spending on discretionary items was also down significantly. Since May we have seen consumer spending return to a more normal, strong pattern in the big and small stores that promise value.

Food and Beverage, plus Health & Personal Care Stores – Although $ were flat, the Grocery segment is still strong, +$70.9B YTD, due to the continuing big drop in restaurant sales. Monthly Sales fell in the Health, Personal Care group but have been up vs 2019 since June. Since August, the YTD $ have been positive. Drug Store $ growth was a key factor.

Clothing and Accessories; Electronic & Appliances; Home Furnishings – Except for September, monthly sales have grown every month since May. All groups increased sales vs October with Electronics/Appliances leading the way at +23.2%. All 3 channels are down significant percentages in YTD sales. Clothing Stores are by far the worst performers. In November they were down 19.2% vs November 2019 and 28.5% YTD. Together, these groups are down $85B vs 2019.

Building Material, Farm & Garden & Hardware – Sales peaked in late spring, as usual. However, this channel continues to benefit from consumers turning their focus to their home needs, including house and yard repair and improvements. This has extended their “Spring” lift into the Fall. $ were up 17.2% vs November 2019 and up +$47.6B (+13.4%) YTD.

Sporting Goods, Hobby and Book Stores – Book and Hobby stores are open and sales in Sporting Goods stores have taken off as Consumers are seeking outdoor recreation. Sales reached a new peak in November, up 10.1% vs last month and 14.0% vs November 2019. The $ exceeded all months in 2019, but December. In April YTD $ were -$3.4B. This deficit was wiped out in September and through November, YTD sales were +$3.0B (+4.3%). Their holiday lift has begun.

All Miscellaneous Stores – This group is mostly small to medium specialty stores – both chains and independents. Pet Stores are essential but most other stores are not, so closures hit this group particularly hard. Sales hit bottom at -$3.8B in April then began to rebound in May and grew through July when they finally beat the monthly sales for 2019. In Aug>Sept sales plateaued. They turned up in October but are down again in November. In February, this group was up $2.6B YTD. Through November they are down -$2.7B, a difference of $5.3B. Recovery will be a long journey.

NonStore Retailers – 90% of the volume of this group comes from Internet/Mail Order/TV businesses. The COVID-19 crisis has only accelerated the ongoing movement to online retail. In February NonStore was up 8.6% YTD. In November monthly sales were the highest for any month in history and they are now up 22.6%, +$158.5B YTD. Their increase is 70% of the total $ increase for Relevant Retail Channels. They are the clear leader, and their performance far exceeds their 12.9% annual increase in 2019. 2020 has become a key turning point for NonStore Retailers.

Note: Almost without exception, online sales by brick ‘n mortar retailers are recorded along with their store sales in their regular channel. Whether they are up or down, their online sales are included in the totals.

Recap – April and May saw the 2 biggest year over year monthly sales declines in history. Restaurants, Auto and Gas Stations increased sales from May through July, but results have been mixed since then. All were down in September, up in October and down again in November. The Auto segment drew even in YTD $ vs 2019 in November but Restaurants and Gas Stations are still struggling. The Relevant Retail segment has been the only true positive. Sales slowed in Aug>Sep. but then began grow again, peaking in November. Their Monthly and YTD sales vs 2019 are now up for 7 consecutive months. Overall, they are +$225B YTD but for some segments in this group there is still a long way to go. Total Retail Sales peaked in October. Although $ dropped in November, Total Retail continued to exceed 2019. YTD Total Retail is now up +$14.5B (+0.3%) vs 2019. Unfortunately, the virus is surging, and retail restrictions are being reimposed in many areas. This will be a long battle. We will continue to monitor the data and provide you with regular updates.