The U.S. Census Bureau has released an experimental data product featuring modeled state-level retail sales. The Monthly State Retail Sales (MSRS) report is a blended data product combining Monthly Retail Trade Survey data, administrative data, and third-party data.

Data are available for year-over-year percent changes for Total Retail Sales excluding Nonstore Retailers as well as 11 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) retail subsectors.

This experimental data product provides data by state and NAICS from January 2019 – June 2020 and will be published on a monthly basis going forward. Our data users often request state-level retail sales and with advances in statistical modeling software and access to third-party data, we can now produce and release these data as experimental.

Like the weekly Business Formation Statistics (BFS) series and Small Business Pulse Survey, the MSRS represents a step toward providing more timely, granular, and relevant data products that meet data user needs, while minimizing the burden on respondents.

The MSRS is one of our first efforts to develop a model that blends our traditional survey data with administrative data and third-party data sources, while producing a new data product measuring our rapidly evolving economy.

Similar to the Supplemental Quarterly E-Commerce Table first introduced last year, these enhancements provide additional geographic or industry granularity to supplement our main products.

More timely data products, like these experimental statistics, are proving to be extremely valuable to our data users and provide additional insight on the state of the economy.

For more information view the MSRS methodology. This is the first version of these experimental data. The Census Bureau plans to continually refine the series and invites users to provide feedback on how to improve this experimental product.

Feedback can be shared by email at EID.Monthly.State.Retail@census.gov.