Retail Sales in America Plunge to Record Low in March

'Many businesses are operating on a limited capacity or have ceased operations completely,' says Census Bureau

A man skates on the sidewalk while wearing a mask and carrying bags in Los Angeles, California, on March 20, 2020. Mario Tama/Getty Images

U.S. retail sales suffered a record drop in March as the COVID-19 outbreak forced businesses to close and people to shelter indoors, setting up consumer spending for its worst decline in decades.

“Due to recent events surrounding COVID-19, many businesses are operating on a limited capacity or have ceased operations completely,” the Census Bureau said in its advance retail and food sales report, published April 15 (pdf).