Retail sales plunge a record 8.7 percent in March


Amid the coronavirus pandemic, retail sales just experienced the biggest plunge on record.
The Commerce Department said Wednesday that retail sales in March dropped 8.7 percent, Reuters reports. This is the biggest decline since the data started being tracked in 1992. In February, retail sales fell a revised 0.4 percent. Though a big decline was expected in a month in which businesses around the country were forced to close down to the coronavirus pandemic, the number was even worse than the 8.0 percent that economists were anticipating.
"We knew the drop in March retail sales would be ugly, but it is still stunning to see," The Washington Post's Heather Long tweeted.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Previously, the biggest monthly decline in retail sales was in the fall of 2008, when there was a drop of almost 4 percent, The New York Times reports. The Post notes clothing stores took a particularly big hit with sales falling 50.7 percent last month compared to a year ago.
Unemployment claims recently soared past 16 million in three weeks after another 6.6 million filings in the most recent report. This once again shattered the record for most unemployment filings in a single week, which was previously 695,000.
CNN's Julia Chatterley called these numbers "nothing like we've ever seen before," adding this shows that "when the U.S. economy effectively shuts down, so do consumers." But Chatterley warned that since most non-essential businesses didn't start shutting down until halfway through the month, "as bad as this March number is, April is going to be worse."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Kaja Kallas: the EU's new chief diplomat shaping the future of European defense
In the Spotlight Former Estonian Prime Minister's status as an uncompromising Russia hawk has gone from liability to strength
By David Faris Published
-
7 ways to drink spectacularly across the United States this spring
The Week Recommends A bar for every springtime occasion
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Test flight of orbital rocket from Europe explodes
Speed Read Isar Aerospace conducted the first test flight of the Spectrum orbital rocket, which crashed after takeoff
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published