Sales at sporting goods, hobby, books and music stores rose a hefty 4.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in April compared with April 2015 according to advance estimated released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The performance outpaced 13 of the other 16 retail channels tracked by Census. Only non-store retailers (+10.2 percent), building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (+8.2 percent) and food services and drinking places (+5.2 percent) grew at a faster year-over-year pace.
Sales reached $7.80 billion in the leisure stores channel in April, up 0.2 percent from March. The results pushed sales for the February to April period up 5.6 percent from the same period in 2015. On an unadjusted basis, which does not correct for changes in the retail calendar, sales at Sporting goods, hobby book and music stores for the January to April totaled $27.5 billion, up 7.4 percent from a year earlier.
By comparison, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated U.S. retail and food services sales for April, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $453.4 billion, an increase of 1.3 percent (±0.5 percent) from the previous month, and 3.0 percent (±0.7 percent) above April 2015.
Total sales for the February 2016 through April 2016 period were up 2.8 percent (±0.5%) from the same period a year ago. The February 2016 to March 2016 percent change was revised from down 0.4 percent (±0.5%)* to down 0.3 percent (±0.2%). Retail trade sales were up 1.4 percent (±0.5%) from March 2016, and up 2.7 percent (±0.5%) from last year.
Non-store retailers were up 10.2 percent (±1.2%) from April 2015, while sales at Department stores, excluding leased concessions, declined 1. Percent from April 2015, increased 0.3 percent from March 2016 and declined 3.6 percent during the February through April period compared with a year earlier.
