Retail sales are up 7% from a year ago — and online sales are up 37%

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.