The National Retail Federation (NRF) said U.S. retail sales rose for an 11th consecutive month in August 2026, according to its CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. The monitor reported that total retail sales, excluding auto dealers and gas stations, increased 0.22% from July and 3.87% from a year earlier. Its narrower core measure, which also excludes restaurants, rose 0.17% month over month and 3.47% year over year.
How much did retail sales rise in August?
NRF published the figures on September 25, 2026. Both measures below are seasonally adjusted Retail Monitor changes, not dollar totals or U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
| NRF measure | What it excludes | August change from July | August change from a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total retail sales | Auto dealers and gasoline stations | +0.22%, seasonally adjusted | +3.87%, seasonally adjusted |
| Core retail sales | Auto dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants | +0.17%, seasonally adjusted | +3.47%, seasonally adjusted |
NRF excludes auto dealers and gas stations from its total measure to reduce volatility and provide a broad view of consumer spending. Core sales remove restaurants as well, focusing more narrowly on demand for retail goods.
What does the 11-month streak mean?
NRF characterizes August as the 11th consecutive month of gains in its Retail Monitor. That describes the monitor’s reported sequence, but the August release also introduced a new methodology. NRF says the August growth rates are not directly comparable with previously published monitor figures, including July’s. The streak should therefore not be read as proof that every monthly percentage in the sequence was calculated on an unchanged basis.
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How NRF measures sales—and how that differs from Census data
The CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor uses actual, anonymized credit- and debit-card purchase data compiled by Affinity Solutions. NRF says those data are weighted to reflect the makeup of U.S. consumers and projected to match U.S. Census Bureau retail-sales totals. The Census Bureau’s monthly retail-sales estimates, by contrast, are survey-based. These are distinct measurement approaches, so the Retail Monitor figures should not be described as Census results or treated as interchangeable with them.
For the August 2026 release, NRF says year-over-year comparisons are seasonally adjusted, consistent with its month-over-month figures. That differs from older unadjusted year-over-year monitor values, which should not be mixed with the new figures.
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Can August be compared with July or Census estimates?
A direct comparison with July’s previously published NRF percentages is not supported because of the methodological change. The August release does not provide a comparable July figure on the new basis in the material cited here. Nor does it establish whether the Retail Monitor and the Census Bureau’s August estimate agree; no Census August figure is included here.
NRF said a fuller release with enhanced sector details and dollar levels was expected in October during the methodology transition. The September 25 release does not provide August results by retail sector, so the headline figures do not establish which categories drove the increase. The official release and monitor page are available from NRF’s August announcement and the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor report page.
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