Michigan Retail Index

The Michigan Retail Index is a monthly broad-based gauge of key retail activity in Michigan. A new index is released by the Michigan Retailers Association (MRA) on the fourth Wednesday of each month. The index is based on a monthly survey of MRA members. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago assists in collecting, compiling and interpreting the survey data.

Latest Release

Michigan retailers expect second quarter improvement
According to the Michigan Retail Index, a joint project of the Michigan Retailers Association (MRA) and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 28 percent of retailers increased sales in March over the same month last year, while 54 percent recorded declines and 18 percent saw no change. The results create a seasonally adjusted performance index of 35.6, down from 42.2 in February and the lowest for any month since February 2003. For March 2007, the index was at 49.0.

Looking ahead, 54 percent believe their sales will increase for April–June, while 25 percent forecast declines and 21 percent project no change. The results create a seasonally adjusted outlook index of 59.6, the highest since last October. For March 2007, the index was at 57.1.
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