NRF Projects U.S. Retail Sales Will Grow 4.4% to $5.6 Trillion in 2026

Despite global conflicts, rising fuel costs, macro-economic uncertainties and declining consumer sentiment, U.S. retail sales will grow in 2026 — and in a bigger way than during the last few years. That’s according to the National Retail Federation which on Wednesday forecast retail sales will increase 4.4 percent to $5.6 trillion this year. That compares with the 3.6 percent average annual U.S. sales growth over the last 10 years, excluding the pandemic period from 2020 to 2022 when growth was atypical, ...