After a slight decline, U.S. retail has been on an upward trend in recent months, with a 1.3 percent increase, starting 2019 off in a positive direction. Higher wages and lower unemployment are expected to continue to promote consumer confidence in the year ahead. Reports anticipate that 2019 retail sales will grow between 3.8 percent and 4.4 percent to more than 3.8 trillion dollars. Specifically, grocery and beverage stores are up 4 percent and general online sales are up 6.3 percent.
Source: CSA, March 2019