Summary: Using real US Census Bureau Monthly Retail Trade Survey data, this project analyzes how American retail changed from 2019 to 2023. Key findings: retail survived a 14.7% COVID crash and recovered in just 4 months, a pandemic boom added +52% growth by 2023, e-commerce accelerated 4+ years ahead of schedule, and December accounts for 30% more spending than the average month.
Key Findings
2023 Total Retail Sales
$8.6T
Growth 2019→2023
+52%
COVID Crash (Apr 2020)
-14.7%
Recovery Time
4 months
E-commerce Share 2023
15.9%
COVID Ecom Acceleration
4+ years
Charts & Analysis
US Total Retail Sales 2019–2023
Monthly, Census MRTS
Year-over-Year Growth
COVID crash vs pandemic boom
Annual Sales Summary
Crossed $8T in 2022
Category Growth 2019→2023
E-commerce leads
Category × Year Heatmap
Sales in $B
The E-commerce Revolution
COVID accelerated by 4+ years
Retail Seasonality Index
December = +30% above average
Data Source
US Census Bureau — Monthly Retail Trade Survey — https://www.census.gov/retail/index.html
All data is real, publicly available government data. Free to download and verify independently.