By CBJ News Staff
news@corridorbusiness.com
U.S. retail and food services sales in May rose by an estimated 17.7% from April levels as businesses closed due to COVID-19 began to reopen, according to the Census Bureau’s Advance Monthly Retail Trade and Food Service survey of businesses.
The May estimate remains 6.1% below May 2019 levels, according to the Census Bureau. Total sales for the March 2020 through May 2020 were down 10% from the same three-month period one year earlier.
Retail trade sales were up 16.8% in May from April 2020, but were 1.4% below year-earlier levels.
Non-store retailers were up 30.8% from May 2019, while building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers were up 16.4% from the year-earlier month. Data was adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences but not for price changes. CBJ
