Electronics and Appliance Stores NAICS 449210

Jul 22, 2025 - Sales Dip in June

• According to US Census Bureau data reported in Barron’s, sales at electronics and appliance stores fell 0.1% in June 2025 compared to the previous month. This contrasts with an increase in total retail sales of 0.6% in June from May, a result that was slightly higher than the monthly growth expectation of economists at FactSet of 0.2%. While many of the 13 retail categories experienced sales growth in June 2025, two main categories - electronics and appliance stores and home furnishings stores - experienced declines. Per the report, the consensus of analysts and economists regarding the current consumers’ state of mind for most retail categories is cautious but resilient, even in the face of higher prices and an uncertain economy impacted by tariffs.
• The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index increased slightly in July 2025, rising to 61.8 in preliminary July data from 60.7 in June, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The consumer sentiment index hit a recent peak in December of 74, buoyed following the presidential election, but dropped to 52.2 in April 2025 as consumers expressed uncertainty about tariff effects and rising inflation. The record low of the index during the past 10 years was in June 2022, when it reached 50. In July, respondents’ inflation expectations for the coming year were an anticipated price increase of 4.4%, which was tracking higher than in January, when respondents expected prices to grow by 3.9%. However, July’s inflation expectation results were lower than June’s, when respondents expected a 5% price increase for the coming year. The index serves as a predictor of consumer spending as it indicates consumers’ perception of their financial prospects and the broader economy.

• Sales for the US electronics and appliance stores industry are projected to grow at a CAGR of -0.16% between 2025 and 2029, according to a forecast from Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. The expected growth rate is slower than the overall economy‘s anticipated growth. The retail and wholesale sectors are driven by consumer spending, along with expenditure by businesses and government. The forecast said retail spending could soften with the growth of spending on consumer services. Another factor that may limit consumer spending is higher tariffs on consumer goods. On a positive note, lower inflation supports a moderate increase of real disposable income by about 2% in 2025 and 1.9% in 2026. Real income could suffer to an extent if average prices rise due to tariff implementation.
• According to a new report in Retail Dive, the retail sector had 64,319 job cuts in the first four months of 2025, a nearly 300% increase year over year, and the second-leading industry in job cuts. The Challenger, Gray & Christmas report found retail job cuts were up almost 80% year over year in April 2025, reaching 7,235. According to Andrew Challenger, an SVP at the consulting firm, “Generally, companies are citing the economy and new technology. Employers are slow to hire and limiting hiring plans as they wait and see what will happen with trade, supply chain, and consumer spending.” The US lost 603,000 jobs in total across all industries, the most since 2020, when over one million job cuts occurred. According to the report, nearly half of the cuts in the first four months were attributed to job eliminations by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).