Total retail sales

From 2020 to 2025, US retail sales were marked by strong recovery from the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a period of moderating but resilient growth. In 2020, total sales stood at $5.19 trillion, already above the pre-pandemic level of $5.10 trillion seen in 2019. Retailers benefited from government stimulus programs, robust online purchasing, and increased spending on household goods as travel and services contracted. The most dramatic surge came in 2021, with sales climbing 12.0% to $5.81 trillion—the sharpest one-year jump in modern retail history—as pent-up demand, further federal relief, and waning lockdown restrictions fueled a broad-based spending boom.

Growth slowed considerably thereafter. In 2022, total sales grew just 0.9% to $5.86 trillion. That year was shaped by inflationary headwinds, a return to in-person activities, and greater consumer caution amid uncertainty over supply chain reliability and future economic conditions. 2023 saw a minor contraction of 1.3% to $5.79 trillion, reflecting cooling demand for durable goods after the pandemic's home-centric surge, but the market quickly stabilized. Retail sales edged up 0.3% to $5.80 trillion in 2024, then rose a further 2.6% to a record $5.95 trillion in 2025.

Over the five-year window, retail sales rose by $761 billion, or 14.7%, yielding a compound annual growth rate of 2.8%. The sector's post-pandemic resilience was supported by e-commerce, which continued to capture a growing share of overall retail spending, as well as by renewed demand for autos, home improvement, and personal care. Notably, this period contrasted with the historic 2007–2009 contraction, which saw sales drop by nearly 12% as the US entered the Great Recession. Despite inflation pressures, changing consumer preferences, and macroeconomic uncertainty, retail spending demonstrated remarkable staying power, continually surpassing past peaks.