April sales show apparel demand remained resilient, but higher fuel costs and cautious sentiment are beginning to test discretionary spending.
US retail sales extended their monthly growth streak in April 2026, with clothing and accessories stores emerging as one of the strongest-performing categories despite higher gasoline prices, persistent inflation and weaker consumer confidence.
According to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions, total retail sales excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations rose 0.34% from March on a seasonally adjusted basis and increased 5.73% year over year on an unadjusted basis. Core retail sales, which also exclude restaurants, matched the 0.34% monthly gain and rose 5.53% from April 2025.
Apparel outperforms
Clothing and accessories stores recorded a 0.59% month-on-month increase and a strong 9.75% year-on-year gain, making apparel one of the clearest bright spots in the April data. Digital products posted a larger monthly increase of 1.11%, but clothing led the major physical retail categories on annual growth.
The figures suggest US consumers are still allocating money to apparel, footwear and accessories even as household budgets face pressure from energy prices and inflation. For fashion retailers, the data points to continued demand, but also to a market where value, promotion discipline and inventory accuracy remain critical.
Growth slows from March
April’s results were positive but softer than March, when total retail sales grew 0.4% month over month and 6.59% year over year. Core retail sales also slowed from March’s 0.41% monthly and 7.05% annual gains. Total sales for the first four months of 2026 were still up 6.07%, while core sales rose 5.99%.
Why retailers are watching costs
NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said spending on household priorities remained solid, supported by the labour market, wage growth and tax refunds, even as consumers stayed cautious on costs. The monitor uses anonymised credit and debit card purchase data rather than survey-based estimates, giving retailers a timely read on actual spending behaviour.
The next signal for apparel retailers will be whether spring demand can hold once tax-refund support fades and inflation keeps compressing discretionary budgets.
