The NRS retail network comprises over 19,000 terminals nationwide processing purchases at bodegas and other independent retailers predominantly serving urban consumers
Consumer spending at NRS retailers in August increased 6.4% compared to August 2021 but decreased 3.3% compared to July 2022
NRSInsights, a provider of sales data and analytics drawn from retail transactions processed through the National Retail Solutions (NRS) nationwide point-of-sale (POS) platform, announced comparative same-store sales results for August 2022.
August 2022 Retail Same-Store Sales Highlights for August 2022
- Same-store sales increased 6.4% from a year earlier (August 2021) and decreased 3.3% compared to the preceding month (July 2022). Same-store sales in July had increased 9.2% compared to the year-ago month, July 2021, and increased 6.5% compared to the previous month, June 2022. (Note: sequential comparisons are impacted by seasonal factors).
- Year to date, same-store sales have increased 8.4% compared to the comparable period in 2021;
- For the three months ended August 31, 2022, same-store sales increased 9.2% compared to the three months ended August 31, 2021.
- The number of items sold during August 2022 increased 6.8% compared to August 2021 and decreased 0.8% compared to July 2022;
- The average number of transactions per store in August 2022 increased 3.9% compared to August 2021 and decreased 1.2% compared to July 2022;
- A dollar-weighted average of prices for the top 500 items purchased in August increased 2.3% year over year, less than the 2.9% year-over-year increase in July 2022.
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“NRS same-store sales data for August continue to reflect strong year-over-year dollar increases, but at a less robust pace than we saw in July,” said Suzy Silliman, SVP, Data Strategy and Sales at NRS. “While spending in August decreased compared to July, we typically experience a modest sequential decline in August driven by seasonal factors. Categories bucking the trend with sequential gains in quantity, baskets, and dollars included school and office supplies and packaged lunch combos –categories driven by back-to-school seasonality. The August data also suggest that inflationary pressures have subsided somewhat. Costs of our most popular items increased 2.3% year over year compared to the 2.9% year over year increase we saw last month.”
The table below provides historical comparative data with the US Commerce Department’s Advance Monthly Retail Trade data excluding food service:
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.
Over the prior 13 months, the NRS same-store retail sales data has exhibited a statistically significant correlation with the US Commerce Department’s Advance Monthly Retail Trade data excluding food services (r =.825, p = .00096).
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 US Commerce Department’s retail data.
Same-store data comparisons of August 2022 with August 2021 are derived from approximately 117 million transactions processed through the 11,148 stores on the NRS network that scanned transactions in both months. Same-store data comparisons of August 2022 data with July 2022 data are derived from approximately 169 million transactions processed through 16,574 stores.
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NRS POS Network
NRS operates the largest POS network for independent retailers in the US, aggregating data from over 19,000 active POS terminals operating in over 17,000 independent retail stores. Its platform predominantly serves urban, small-format, independent, retail stores including convenience stores, bodegas, liquor stores, grocers, and tobacco and sundries sellers. The network includes retailers in all 50 states and in 188 of the 210 designated market areas (DMAs) in the US. Over the past twelve months, NRS’ POS terminals processed $11.9 billion in sales through approximately 865 million transactions.
