US retail sales rebound in February
US retail sales beat forecasts in February as consumers resumed spending, signaling retailers may face renewed inventory pressure and last-mile capacity demand heading into the peak cycle. That demand uptick translates into procurement windows for carriers and 3PLs to lock seasonal capacity. (bloomberg.com)
February retail and food-service receipts totaled $738.4 billion in the Census Bureau’s advance estimate for February 2026, up 0.6% from January and 3.7% year‑over‑year. (census.gov) Retail trade sales excluding autos rose 0.5% month‑over‑month in the advance report, and nonstore (e‑commerce) retailer receipts were up 7.5% versus a year earlier. (census.gov) With February sales growth outpacing stockbuilding, Haver Analytics reports the business inventories‑to‑sales ratio slipped to about 1.35 months from 1.36 the prior month, a 0.7% drop that signals tighter on‑hand merchandise relative to demand. (haver.com) Freight market indicators show capacity tightening ahead of the spring contracting season: SpotInc flagged a 12‑year low in available capacity and an outbound tender rejection index near 13.4%, meaning carriers are declining a growing share of lower‑priced loads. (spotinc.com) The Logistics Managers’ Index recorded transportation capacity as contracting while the overall LMI rose to 61.5 and warehousing utilization climbed to 60.3 in February, reflecting simultaneous upward pressure on utilization and on‑net capacity stress. (the-lmi.com) Annual procurement patterns concentrate contracting activity between January and April, and industry playbooks note that as much as 70% of contracted ocean lanes are historically unused—a bargaining point that affects how carriers and 3PLs price and allocate seasonal commitments. (gocubic.io) Market research and forecasts from ACT Research and others describe the freight market shifting from a prolonged downcycle into an early‑stage tightening in 2026, a structural backdrop that strengthens carrier leverage on spot rates and elevates the value of guaranteed‑capacity offerings. (actresearch.net)
