Key retail industry statistics
- US retail trade sales reached $5.64 trillion in January to September 2026, up 4.8% on a year earlier (Census Bureau).
- Online and other nonstore retailers sold $1.05 trillion, up 8.0%, about 18.6% of retail trade sales.
- The fastest-growing store types were gas stations (+17.0%), miscellaneous stores (+11.2%) and sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores (+9.2%).
- Health and personal care stores (−1.9%) and furniture stores (−1.5%) saw sales fall.
- India has about 1.99 crore small retail businesses, 27% of all its small businesses, employing about 3.31 crore people.
- An urban Indian small retailer adds about ₹3.13 lakh a year in value, almost twice a rural one.
These retail industry statistics cover the United States and India: sales by type of store, growth, online sales, the number and size of small retailers, and what households spend. Every figure comes from an official source and links to its page on Advanton Statistics.
Updated November 2026.
20 retail industry statistics at a glance
Table of Contents
- US retail and food services sales totalled $6.45 trillion in January to September 2026, up 4.7%.
- Retail trade alone (excluding restaurants and bars) was $5.64 trillion, up 4.8%.
- In September 2026, retail trade sales were $652.1 billion (seasonally adjusted), up 6.2% year on year.
- Motor vehicle and parts dealers are the largest store type: $1.25 trillion, 22.2% of retail trade.
- Online and other nonstore retailers sold $1.05 trillion, up 8.0%.
- Nonstore retailers now make up 18.6% of US retail trade sales.
- General merchandise stores sold $703.7 billion (+3.6%).
- Grocery stores sold $683.4 billion, up only 1.0%.
- Gas station sales jumped 17.0% to $558.5 billion.
- Building material and garden stores sold $398.5 billion (+4.5%).
- Health and personal care stores sold $340.6 billion, down 1.9%.
- Clothing and accessories stores sold $218.3 billion (+5.3%).
- Furniture and home furnishings stores fell 1.5% to $93.2 billion.
- Electronics and appliance stores grew 7.0% to $65.0 billion.
- Department stores sold $30.8 billion (+0.9%).
- E-commerce made up 17.1% of US retail sales in Q2 2026, a record (quarterly e-commerce survey).
- India has about 1.99 crore small retail businesses (ASUSE 2023-24).
- That is 27.1% of all of India’s small businesses, the largest single activity.
- 48.0% of India’s small retailers are in urban areas.
- 87.5% of them have no hired workers.
US retail industry statistics
Retail sales by type of store, January to September 2026
| Type of store | Sales | Change on 2025 | Share of retail trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor vehicle and parts dealers | $1,251.1 billion | +2.0% | 22.2% |
| Nonstore retailers (online and mail order) | $1,046.1 billion | +8.0% | 18.6% |
| General merchandise stores | $703.7 billion | +3.6% | 12.5% |
| Grocery stores | $683.4 billion | +1.0% | 12.1% |
| Gasoline stations | $558.5 billion | +17.0% | 9.9% |
| Building material and garden stores | $398.5 billion | +4.5% | 7.1% |
| Health and personal care stores | $340.6 billion | −1.9% | 6.0% |
| Clothing and accessories stores | $218.3 billion | +5.3% | 3.9% |
| Miscellaneous store retailers | $138.4 billion | +11.2% | 2.5% |
| Furniture and home furnishings stores | $93.2 billion | −1.5% | 1.7% |
| Sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores | $72.8 billion | +9.2% | 1.3% |
| Electronics and appliance stores | $65.0 billion | +7.0% | 1.2% |
| Retail trade, total | $5,637.8 billion | +4.8% | 100% |
Census Bureau, Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services, September 2026. Not adjusted for price changes.
Monthly momentum in 2026
| Month (seasonally adjusted) | Retail trade sales | Retail and food services |
|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | $639.3 billion | $729.9 billion |
| August 2026 | $647.4 billion | $739.3 billion |
| September 2026 | $652.1 billion | $745.0 billion |
| September 2025, for comparison | $614.1 billion | $700.9 billion |
Retail sales rose month after month through the third quarter, and September 2026 retail trade sales were 6.2% above September 2025, faster than the 4.8% growth for the year to date. September figures are advance estimates and are often revised.
Winners and losers
Growing fastest: gas stations (+17.0%, mostly reflecting fuel prices), miscellaneous store retailers (+11.2%), sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores (+9.2%), nonstore retailers (+8.0%) and electronics and appliance stores (+7.0%).
Shrinking: health and personal care stores (−1.9%) and furniture and home furnishings stores (−1.5%). Grocery stores (+1.0%) and department stores (+0.9%) grew slower than prices, which means they sold less in real terms.
Online’s growing share
Nonstore retailers grew 8.0%, two thirds faster than retail overall, and now take 18.6% of retail trade sales. The Census Bureau’s separate e-commerce measure, which counts online sales by all retailers, reached 17.1% of retail sales in Q2 2026, its highest ever. See our e-commerce statistics.
What US households spend in stores
According to the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average household spent $6,491 on food at home, $2,010 on apparel and services, $2,355 on household furnishings and equipment and $986 on personal care in 2025 (where household money goes). Spending on furnishings fell 12.8% from 2021 to 2025, matching the weak sales at furniture stores.
India retail industry statistics
India’s retail sector is dominated by small, family-run shops: kiranas, general stores, pharmacies, mobile shops and market stalls.
| Measure (ASUSE 2023-24) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Small retail businesses | about 1.99 crore |
| Share of all small businesses | 27.1% |
| Share in urban areas | 48.0% |
| Workers | about 3.31 crore |
| Average workers per business | about 1.7 |
| Owner-only businesses (no hired workers) | 87.5% |
| Value added per business a year, urban | ₹3.13 lakh |
| Value added per business a year, rural | ₹1.62 lakh |
| Average annual pay per hired worker | about ₹1.30 lakh |
Wholesale is a different picture: about 13.1 lakh small wholesale businesses add an average of ₹7.27 lakh a year each, about three times the average small retailer, and 41% of them employ hired workers.
Small trade businesses by state
ASUSE reports trade (retail and wholesale together) by state. The states with the most small trade businesses are:
| State | Small trade businesses | Share of India | Value added per business a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | about 34.8 lakh | 15.2% | ₹2.07 lakh |
| Maharashtra | about 22.3 lakh | 9.8% | ₹3.28 lakh |
| West Bengal | about 20.5 lakh | 9.0% | ₹2.01 lakh |
| Bihar | about 14.6 lakh | 6.4% | ₹1.68 lakh |
| Madhya Pradesh | about 14.5 lakh | 6.3% | ₹2.22 lakh |
| Gujarat | about 13.6 lakh | 6.0% | ₹3.67 lakh |
Among states with large survey samples, trade businesses add the most value in Kerala (₹4.50 lakh a year), Telangana (₹3.90 lakh) and Tamil Nadu (₹3.79 lakh), and the least in Odisha (₹1.57 lakh), Bihar (₹1.68 lakh) and West Bengal (₹2.01 lakh). A trader in Kerala adds almost three times as much value as one in Odisha. See small business earnings by state.
What Indian households spend
Indian households’ spending on goods sold through retail is spread across many categories. In urban India, the largest are processed food and drinks (₹776 per person a month), milk (₹503), durable goods (₹481), miscellaneous goods (₹484) and clothing and footwear (₹396). Indian households spend an estimated ₹87 lakh crore a year in total (household spending by category).
India had about 1.68 crore GST registrations in July 2026 (GST registrations by state), a measure of how many businesses, including retailers, are in the formal tax system.
Key trends in the retail industry
- Online keeps gaining share, with nonstore retail growing about two thirds faster than retail overall.
- Real growth is weak in essentials. Grocery and department store sales grew slower than inflation.
- Discretionary niches are strong: sporting goods, hobbies, electronics and miscellaneous stores grew fastest outside fuel.
- Home goods are in a slump after the pandemic boom, in both store sales and household spending.
- India’s retail is small-scale and urban-productive: an urban shop adds almost twice the value of a rural one.
Benchmarks for retail business planning
| Benchmark | Figure | How it is calculated |
|---|---|---|
| Share of US retail sold by nonstore retailers | 18.6% | $1,046.1 bn ÷ $5,637.8 bn |
| Workers in a typical small Indian retailer | about 1.7 | 3.31 crore workers ÷ 1.99 crore businesses |
| Urban vs rural value added per Indian retailer | about 1.9 times | ₹3.13 lakh ÷ ₹1.62 lakh |
| Wholesale vs retail value added per business (India) | about 3.1 times | ₹7.27 lakh ÷ ₹2.34 lakh |
What these statistics mean for retailers
- Sell online as well as in store. Nearly one in five US retail dollars now goes through nonstore channels.
- Choose categories with real growth, not just price growth.
- In India, location drives productivity. Urban shops add about twice the value; consider wholesale or distribution for higher value per business.
- Size your local market before opening: see how to calculate market size and the free India Market Report Builder.
How to use retail statistics for your business
- Opening a shop: compare local population and household spending with the number of similar shops nearby, then check sales trends for your store type in the table above.
- Choosing a category: favour store types with real growth (sales growing faster than prices), such as sporting goods, hobby and electronics, over those growing slower than inflation.
- Pitching to lenders or investors: cite the Census Bureau or ASUSE figures for your category and your state, with sources (see how to cite Advanton).
Questions about the retail industry
How big is the US retail industry?
US retail trade sales were $5.64 trillion in January to September 2026, or $6.45 trillion including restaurants and bars, according to the Census Bureau.
What is the largest type of retailer in the US?
Motor vehicle and parts dealers, with $1.25 trillion in sales in January to September 2026, 22.2% of retail trade.
Which retail sectors are growing fastest?
In 2026, gas stations (+17.0%), miscellaneous stores (+11.2%), sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores (+9.2%) and online retailers (+8.0%).
What share of retail is online?
Nonstore retailers made 18.6% of US retail trade sales in January to September 2026; the e-commerce share of all retail sales was 17.1% in Q2 2026.
How many retail shops are there in India?
About 1.99 crore small retail businesses, according to ASUSE 2023-24, plus larger registered retailers.
How much does a small retail shop in India earn?
A typical small retailer adds about ₹2.34 lakh a year in value: ₹3.13 lakh in urban areas and ₹1.62 lakh in rural areas.
Which Indian state has the most shops?
Uttar Pradesh has the most small trade businesses (about 34.8 lakh, 15.2% of India), followed by Maharashtra and West Bengal (ASUSE 2023-24).
Why are furniture store sales falling?
After a pandemic-era boom in home goods, US households have cut spending on furnishings: it fell 12.8% from 2021 to 2025, and furniture store sales fell 1.5% in 2026.
Are grocery store sales growing?
Slowly: US grocery store sales rose 1.0% in January to September 2026, less than food price inflation.
Sources and methodology
- US Census Bureau, Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services, September 2026 (15 October 2026); Quarterly E-Commerce Report via FRED. Sales are not adjusted for price changes and cover businesses with paid employees.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey 2025.
- MoSPI, ASUSE 2023-24 and HCES 2023-24; GSTN monthly report, July 2026. See the methodology.
Last reviewed November 12, 2026. Startup costs are estimates; check local prices, licensing and tax rules before you commit money.