Clothing paces US retail with +9.75% YoY in April, outrunning inflation drag
NRF data shows US retail sales rose for a seventh straight month in April 2026, with clothing and accessories leading all categories at +9.75% YoY and +0.59% MoM. Total retail climbed +5.73% YoY despite gas price spikes tied to Iran tensions and sticky inflation, signaling resilient apparel demand into summer.
US retail sales grew for a seventh straight month in April 2026, with clothing and accessories leading at +9.75% YoY and +0.59% MoM, despite higher gas prices, Iran conflict tensions, and persistent inflation concerns.
Why this matters
NRF's April readout extends a seven-month US retail growth streak, with apparel outperforming as inflation and energy shocks persist. Clothing's +9.75% YoY pace points to durable discretionary spend into summer.
Retail-brand signals steady at 113 over the last 90 days, consistent with broader sector momentum.