US retail sales in April were about the same as in the previous month, when they reached record highs, demonstrating that the country's cash benefits continue to be effective.
The US Department of Commerce announced on April 14 that US retail sales were $ 619.9 billion, or about 67 trillion yen in Japanese yen, flat from the previous month, which was the highest level ever.
Breaking it down, ▼ "clothes / accessories" decreased by 5.1%, ▼ "food and drink / bar" increased by 3.0%, and ▼ "home appliances" increased by 1.2%.
In the United States, cash benefits of up to 150,000 yen per person have been paid to more than 80% of households since March, so personal consumption has improved significantly, and it is shown that this effect continues in April. I did.
However, the results this time were lower than expected by the market, which was expected to grow further.
With the spread of vaccination, it is expected that economic activities will become more active, such as the tightening of restaurant business regulations in New York, but it seems that the issue is whether personal consumption will recover sustainably.