Content about U.S. Census Bureau

An intelligent analysis of 2013 forecasts for the hardware and building material industries must begin with the recognition of a term that has entered the lexicon of economic forecasting and business predicting.

The term is "head fake."

Sales of new single-family homes in November increased 4.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 377,000, according to government data released Thursday. 

The pace of new-home sales is the highest since April 2010. 

The figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development show that new-home sales are up 15.3% compared with the November 2011 estimate of 327,000.

Sales of new single-family homes in September 2012 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 389,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This is 5.7% above the revised August rate of 368,000 and is 27.1% above the September 2011 estimate of 306,000.

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales were up slightly in July, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, July monthly sales were $403.9 billion, up 0.8% from the previous month, and up 4.1% from July last year.

For building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (NAICS classification 444), July sales were $23.46 billion, up 1.0% from both June 2012 and July 2011.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for June, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $401.5 billion, down 0.5% from the previous month, but 3.8% above June 2011.

Total sales for the April through June 2012 period were up 4.7% from the same period a year ago.

Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers had a strong month in April compared with a year ago, according to government data released Tuesday.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for April were up 0.1% to $408 billion. The April figure, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was up 6.4% from the April 2011 estimate.

Preliminary data from the Monthly Retail Trade Survey shows sales for hardware stores (NAICS 44413) ahead of the same period last year.

Unadjusted sales for hardware stores in February, the latest month of available statistics for NAICS 44413, were $1.417 billion, up from $1.245 billion in February 2011.

The data was released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau along with the Advance Monthly Retail Trade Report.

The monthly sales tally from the U.S. Census Bureau showed gains in February – sales were up 1.1% from the previous month, and up 6.5% from the same month last year.

Leading the sales charge are businesses classified as building material & garden equipment and supplies dealers – NAICS code 444, inclusive of home centers and hardware stores. No other kind of business tracked by the bureau has grown faster in the first two months of 2012. 

Advance monthly retail sales for January increased 0.4% to $401.4 billion, according to data released this morning by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The January 2012 figure, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, is up 5.8% compared with the sales estimate from January 2011.

Data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau tell the story of two regions generating the lion's share of new residential construction in November: the Northeast and West.

U.S. retail and food services improved slightly in November, but NAICS code 444 retailers took a step backward. 

The U.S. Census Bureau announced Tuesday morning that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for November, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $399.3 billion, an increase of 0.2% from the previous month and 6.7% above November 2010.

The U.S. Census Bureau's monthly survey shows unadjusted August sales for both NAICS 444 and 44413 are up compared with last year, and slightly up compared with last month.