Data Did You Know: The Retail Sales report for February 2021, released by the U.S. Census Department in April, shows that retail sales at auto parts, accessories, and tire stores were up 7.8% over February 2020 sales.  

While down slightly from January, the dip can partially be explained by the brutal weather that hit the eastern part of the country in February, which cut down on discretionary maintenance. This month’s report is also the last one where we can compare year-ago sales to a “normal” month, as the lockdowns started to have their effect in March 2020.