Retail Reference
A current reference for journalists, retailers, students, and anyone tracking the apparel market. Every figure below links to its original public source.
Last Updated October 16, 2026
The Big Picture
Apparel retail spans in-store shopping, online stores, specialty retailers, and the everyday purchases that shape a customer's closet. This page brings together the latest public figures on e-commerce, clothing-store sales, household spending, and the changing retail landscape.
Use the links below to check the original release, quote a single statistic, or trace the context behind the number.
Key Statistics
$340.2B
Seasonally adjusted retail e-commerce sales increased 3.8% from the prior quarter and 12.2% from the second quarter of 2025.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, August 18, 202617.1%
The figure is based on seasonally adjusted retail sales and shows how much of the total retail market moved through e-commerce.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, August 18, 2026$1,986.5B
Seasonally adjusted total retail sales increased 2.9% from the prior quarter and 6.7% from the second quarter of 2025.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, August 18, 202612.2%
The seasonally adjusted estimate compares second-quarter 2026 e-commerce sales with the same quarter one year earlier.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, August 18, 2026$218.3B
This unadjusted year-to-date total was 5.3% higher than the comparable period in 2025.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey, October 15, 2026$26.5B
The September estimate was unchanged from August and 5.0% higher than September 2025.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey, October 15, 2026$2,001
Apparel and services represented 2.5% of average annual household spending, according to the latest annual Consumer Expenditure Survey release.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures 2024, December 19, 202552,909
The 2022 Economic Census also counted 121,610 establishments in the sector, down from 143,534 establishments in 2017.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, America Counts, July 8, 202544,322
That was a 33% increase from 2017, illustrating the continuing growth of retail businesses that sell beyond a traditional storefront.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, America Counts, July 8, 2025$35.0B
Payroll rose from $32.1 billion in 2017 even as employment in the sector declined from 1.8 million to 1.5 million workers.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, America Counts, July 8, 2025What It Suggests
Online retail continues to take a meaningful share of total retail spending, while clothing and accessories stores still represent a large, active category. For independent apparel brands, the customer journey often begins online even when their taste is shaped by what they see in everyday life, on social media, or while shopping in person.
These figures are national benchmarks, not a forecast for any individual shop. They are most useful as a starting point for understanding the market, comparing published reporting, and following the direction of retail over time.
Methodology and Sources
This reference uses publicly available data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Figures are taken directly from the linked releases and retain each source's reporting period, definitions, and revision policy. This page will be reviewed monthly, or sooner when a primary source publishes a newer release.
Cite This Page
Loops & Lumber Co. (2026). U.S. Apparel Retail Statistics: 2026 Data & Trends. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://loopsandlumberco.com/apparel-retail-statistics