Mon Sep 09 15:32:05 UTC 2024: ## Independent Retailers See Strong August Sales Growth, Led by Back-to-School Spending

**NEWARK, NJ – September 9, 2024** – NRSInsights, a provider of sales data and analytics for independent retailers, reported a robust 5.1% year-over-year increase in same-store sales for August 2024. The growth was fueled by strong back-to-school spending, particularly in categories like office supplies, writing tools, and computer/printer accessories.

“August is a key month for back-to-school sales, and we saw significant growth compared to both July and August 2023,” said Suzy Silliman, SVP, Data Strategy and Sales at NRS. “School-related categories were particularly strong, along with items like cookie snacks and baking supplies, which are popular for lunchboxes and homemade treats.”

While the overall inflation rate in August rose to 3.5%, driven mainly by tobacco product price increases, the underlying rate of inflation, excluding tobacco, remained at 2.5%.

NRSInsights data is gathered from approximately 32,300 active POS terminals nationwide, processing transactions at independent retailers including bodegas, convenience stores, liquor stores, and grocery stores. The data is primarily representative of urban consumers.

Despite continued year-over-year declines in the candy, gum, and sweet snack categories, the overall August sales growth signals a positive trend for independent retailers.

**About NRSInsights:**

NRSInsights provides sales data and analytics drawn from retail transactions processed through the National Retail Solutions (NRS) point-of-sale (POS) platform. NRS is a subsidiary of IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT).

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