April's NAICS 444 sales rose again
For all the economic anxiety that's percolating, U.S. consumers are still opening up their wallets. On certain items, at least.
According to Census Bureau data just released, U.S. retail and food services sales hit $724.1 billion in April 2025, up 5.2 percent from April 2024. Retail trade sales also rose 4.7 percent compared to April 2024's numbers. Year-over-year, total sales for the period of February 2025 through April 2025 were up 4.8 percent.
Motor vehicle and parts dealers were up 9.4 percent from last year, while food service and drinking places were up 7.8 percent.
April 2025's NAICS 444 sales, which include building material suppliers as well as garden equipment and supplies dealers, rose slightly year-over-year—and considerably month-over-month. Unadjusted April 2025 sales for NAICS 444 entities hit $45.374 billion, leaving March 2025's $39.798 billion tally in the dust. Year-over-year, April 2025's sales also beat April 2024's (unadjusted) sales of $44.528 billion.
Monthly retail sales for hardware stores (NAICS 44413) also bounced back in March 2025 (the latest data available) from a sluggish February. Sales grew to $3.50 billion compared to Feb. 2025's mark of $2.83 billion. On a year-over-year basis, hardware store sales are also up compared to sales of $3.25 billion in March 2024.
Despite ongoing concerns about the forthcoming impacts of tariffs on pricing, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz shared a hopeful outlook:
“Consumers are still spending despite widespread pessimism fueled by rising tariffs. While tariffs may have weighed on spending decisions, growth is coming at a moderate pace and consumer spending remains steady, reflecting a resilient economy. The momentum and willingness to spend is being supported by positive data on jobs and wages along with lower energy prices.”
