U.S. Retail E-Commerce Sales Rebound in Q4'21
Summary
- Sales +1.7% q/q, the third q/q gain in four quarters; +9.4% y/y.
- Increase in sales led by general merchandise (+75.5% q/q), partially offset by motor vehicles & parts (-0.8% q/q).
Online retail sales, more formally known as "E-Commerce sales," rose 1.7% q/q SA (9.4% y/y) in Q4'21 after a 3.2% decline in Q3 (-3.3% initially) and a 3.1% increase in Q2, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For all of 2021, E-Commerce sales rose 14.6% after having gained 31.8% in 2020 and 14.1% in 2019.
The Q4'21 rise in E-Commerce sales was slightly smaller than a 2.5% q/q gain (15.2% y/y) in overall retail sales during the same period. This overall measure of retail sales excludes food services and restaurant sales. E-Commerce sales accounted for 12.9% of total retail sales in Q4'21, compared to 13.0% in Q3, 13.3% in Q2, 13.2% in 2021 and 13.6% in 2020.
Details of the E-Commerce data by sector are not seasonally adjusted. Sales of nonstore retailers, which accounted for 53.6% of total E-Commerce sales in Q4'21, rebounded 19.7% q/q (11.5% y/y) in Q4 after a 2.7% decline in Q3. General merchandise store sales surged 75.5% (17.0% y/y), the fastest q/q rise since Q2'20, after a 5.3% slide. Clothing accessory store sales jumped 45.6% (3.9% y/y), the largest q/q gain since Q4'20, after a 2.6% decline. Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument & book sales advanced 39.4% (6.5% y/y), the third straight q/q gain, after a 2.9% increase. Sales of furniture & home furnishings jumped 16.2% (4.4% y/y), the third successive q/q advance, on top of a 5.0% increase. Food & beverage purchases rose 10.9% (-0.9% y/y), the first q/q rise since Q4'20, after a 0.8% decline. Building materials & garden equipment sales grew 9.7% (29.7% y/y), reversing a 4.9% drop. Miscellaneous sales including gasoline stations rebounded 8.5% (8.0% y/y) vs. a 3.5% decline. In contrast, online sales of motor vehicles & parts fell 0.8% (+15.9% y/y) in Q4 following a 6.0% Q3 drop and five consecutive q/q increases.
E-commerce sales are goods and services ordered over an Internet, mobile device (M-commerce), extranet, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) network, electronic mail, or other comparable online system. Payment may or may not be made online and sometimes sale & price are negotiated. Total sales estimates are adjusted for seasonal variation, but not for price changes. They are also adjusted for trading-day differences and moving holidays.
The retail sales and retail E-Commerce sales data can be found in Haver's USECON database.
Winnie Tapasanun
AuthorMore in Author Profile »Winnie Tapasanun has been working for Haver Analytics since 2013. She has 20+ years of working in the financial services industry. As Vice President and Economic Analyst at Globicus International, Inc., a New York-based company specializing in macroeconomics and financial markets, Winnie oversaw the company’s business operations, managed financial and economic data, and wrote daily reports on macroeconomics and financial markets. Prior to working at Globicus, she was Investment Promotion Officer at the New York Office of the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) where she wrote monthly reports on the U.S. economic outlook, wrote reports on the outlook of key U.S. industries, and assisted investors on doing business and investment in Thailand. Prior to joining the BOI, she was Adjunct Professor teaching International Political Economy/International Relations at the City College of New York. Prior to her teaching experience at the CCNY, Winnie successfully completed internships at the United Nations. Winnie holds an MA Degree from Long Island University, New York. She also did graduate studies at Columbia University in the City of New York and doctoral requirements at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Her areas of specialization are international political economy, macroeconomics, financial markets, political economy, international relations, and business development/business strategy. Her regional specialization includes, but not limited to, Southeast Asia and East Asia. Winnie is bilingual in English and Thai with competency in French. She loves to travel (~30 countries) to better understand each country’s unique economy, fascinating culture and people as well as the global economy as a whole.
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