Conspicuous Correlation: October 2009 Discretionary Retail Sales and U.S. Home Prices

Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released its latest nominal read of retail sales showing an increase of 1.4% from September 2009 and 1.7% decline from October 2008 on an aggregate of all items including food, fuel and healthcare services.

Discretionary retail sales including home furnishings, home garden and building materials, consumer electronics and department store sales decline 8.19% compared to October 2008.

Further, adjusted for inflation (now deflation), “real” discretionary retail sales declined 7.73% since October 2008.

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On a “nominal” basis, there had appeared to be “rough correlation” between strong home value appreciation and strong retail spending preceding the housing bust and an even stronger correlation when home values started to decline.

The following charts show my initial analysis plotting the year-over-year change to an aggregate series consisting of the primary discretionary retail sales categories that I termed the “discretionary” retail sales series and the year-over-year change to the S&P/Case-Shiller Composite home price index since 1993 and since 2000.


As you can see there was, at the very least, a coincidental change to home values and consumer spending during the boom and then the bust, but as home values have continued to decline, retail spending has remained low but has not continued to consistently contract.


As you can see from the above charts, adjusted for inflation (CPI for retail sales, CPI “less shelter” for S&P/Case-Shiller Composite) the “rough correlation” between the year-over-year change to the “discretionary” retail sales series and the year-over-year S&P/Case-Shiller Composite series seems now even more significant.

Comments

[fotokemist:]

While the correlation is strong, I would suggest falling incomes as a consequence of high unemployment is the likely cause of both changes.

Nov 17 09:39 AM

[Gary A:]

A couple of issues. First, sales receipts are tanking in all states. So I really don't trust the government numbers on retail sales at all.

Also, since people are deleveraging through walking away from credit cards and through walking away from house loans, they may have a little more money.

But I still don't trust the government numbers.

Nov 17 03:55 PM