June 2026 Retail Performance Recap

Wed Jul 22 2026

Trends & Forecasts

We officially crossed the threshold into the second half of the year — and the retail performance reports for June are slowly rolling in.

Below are a few key takeaways from various sources, including expert commentary.

June Retail Performance in Key Categories

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) Retail Monitor monthly report, core retail sales (excluding restaurants, auto dealerships, and gas stations) increased 0.36 percent month-over-month (MoM) and 10.08 percent year-over-year (YoY), based on credit and debit card purchases.

The double-digit increase is, in part, due to an underperforming June 2025 and Amazon’s decision to shift its Prime Day from July to June this year. Yet, even when seasonally adjusted, core June sales still rose 4.23 percent YoY.

CLICK HERE to read our May 2026 retail summary.

Now, let’s zoom in on specific category performance in June, released by the U.S. Commerce Department and summarized by Retail Dive.

Electronics and appliances saw a 10 percent increase in sales YoY, while furniture and home furnishings categories were up 2 percent YoY.

Amazon Prime Day Results for June 2026

How did Prime Day impact the overall results?

During the four-day promotional period, U.S. online retail sales jumped about 9.3 percent YoY, per Adobe data. Top categories included electronics, appliances, general home, and home improvement.

As reported by Reuters, industry experts attribute the increase to higher-than-average tax refunds and “high inflation coupled with shoppers' purchasing of more discretionary, long-lasting products.”

More Prime Day shoppers took advantage of instalment plans, with buy now, pay later (BNPL) purchases increasing 9.5 percent compared to 2025.

With these factors in mind, Sonia Lapinsky, Managing Director ⁠of Retail at consulting firm Alix Partners, summarized that consumers are “not necessarily spending more — they’re just trying to spread what they have over better deals and discounts.”

This makes advertising to budget-conscious consumers even more important, especially during heavy promotional periods.

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