The retail sector has recovered to pre-pandemic levels as it heads into the holiday season. In October, the retail sector — which includes consumer-facing businesses including stores, restaurants, and gas stations — made $553 billion in sales, according to data from the US Census Bureau. That’s about 5% higher than the $527 billion in sales in February and 34% higher than the $413 billion sold in April.
Not all segments of the sector have recovered, with food services and drinking, gas stations, and clothing stores all showing sales in October more than 12% below February figures. One sector, however, has increased sales throughout the pandemic: online shopping.
