NRSInsights’ January 2024 Retail Same-Store Sales Report - Seite 2

“Year-over-year same-store sales in our network increased 1.2% in January, continuing the trend toward slower growth we saw through much of 2023. January characteristically generates a sequential sales decrease, with tighter spending compared to the preceding holiday season.

“’Better for you’ resolutions influence the composition of shoppers' baskets during January, and that sentiment was especially strong this year. Tobacco/Tobacco Alternatives, Desserts, and Candy were among the categories experiencing higher than the typical ‘seasonal’ declines, while wellness categories including Vitamins and Supplements, Performance Nutrition, and Vegetables outpaced year-ago same store sales by double-digit percentages.

“Continuing on this theme, during “Dry January" 2024, both Non-Alcoholic Beer and Non-Alcoholic Spirits delivered sizable sales increases over the prior year. More non-alcoholic varieties are taking the shelf as they mainstream with consumers.

“Also of note, Upper Respiratory products saw a 24% increase over January 2023 in same stores scanning, reflecting the continued rise in RSV, flu and COVID-19 cases nationwide.

“Our stores’ retail customers got some good news in January. Inflationary pressure, as measured by the prices of the 500 most popular items sold across our network, continued to subside, slowing to a 0.3% year over year increase – the lowest figure since NRS began reporting same-store sales in July of 2022.

“NRS same-store sales again outperformed the broader retailer market as measured by the US Commerce Department’s most recent three month rolling average, even as the difference in their respective rates of increase continued to narrow.”

Retail Trade Comparative Data

The table below provides historical comparative data with the U.S. Commerce Department’s Advance Monthly Retail Trade same-store sales data excluding food service:

Over the past twelve months, the NRS network’s three-month moving average same-store sales have outpaced the US Commerce Department’s Advance Monthly Retail Trade data excluding food services by 4.3% percentage points, on average.

The NRSInsights data have not been adjusted to reflect inflation, demographic distributions, seasonal buying patterns, item substitution, or other factors that may facilitate comparisons to other periods, to other same-store retail sales data, or to the U.S. Commerce Department’s retail data.

NRSInsights Reports

The NRSInsights monthly Same-Store Retail Sales Reports are intended to provide timely topline data reflective of sales at NRS’ network of independent, predominantly urban, retail stores.