Retail sales plummeted a record 16.4% in April, the Census Bureau reported Friday, as the nation continued its economic shutdown because of the coronavirus.
Economists had predicted that sales for April would fall by 12.3%.
Last month’s slide comes on the heels of sales falling 8.3% in March.
Overall, April sales were 21.6% lower than they were a year ago.
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With stay-at-home orders and the closing of nonessential shops in place for most of the country since mid-March, total sales for the February through April period were down 7.7% from the same period a year ago.
The clothing store sector has taken a tremendous hit, with sales plunging 89.3% from April 2019. Meanwhile, sales at online retailers were up 21.6% from last year.
Grocery store sales have also jumped 13.4% over the past four months, while sales at restaurants and bars have dropped 48.7% from a year ago.
With few people driving these days, sales at gas stations have dropped 13.3% over the past four months. Motor vehicle sales have dropped 34.3% from a year ago.
