# Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Monthly Retail Surveys
The Department of Commerce will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. Public comments were previously requested via the *Federal Register* on August 5, 2025 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
*Agency:* U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.
*Title:* Monthly Retail Surveys.
*OMB Control Number:* 0607-0717.
*Form Number(s):* SM-4417S, SM-4417SE, SM-4417SS, SM-4417B, SM-4417BE, SM-4417BS, SM-7217S, SM-2017I, SM-4417A, SM-4417AE, SM-4417AS, SM-7217A.
*Type of Request:* Regular submission, Request for an Extension, without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection.
*Number of Respondents:* 13,000.
*Average Hours per Response:* 7 minutes.
*Burden Hours:* 18,200.
*Needs and Uses:* The U.S. Census Bureau requests an extension of the Monthly Retail Surveys (MRS). The MRS is comprised of two surveys known as the Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MRTS) and the Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MARTS). MRS are administered monthly to a sample of employer firms ( *i.e.,* businesses with paid employees) with establishments located in the United States and classified in retail trade and/or food services sectors as defined by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
The MRTS provides estimates of monthly retail sales, end-of-month merchandise inventories, and quarterly e-commerce sales of retailers in the United States. In addition, the survey also provides an estimate of monthly sales at food service establishments and drinking places.
The MARTS, a subsample of MRTS, began in 1953 as a monthly survey for activity taking place during the previous month. The MARTS was developed in response to requests by government, business, and other users to provide an early indication of current retail trade activity in the United States. Retail sales are one of the primary measures of consumer demand for both durable and non-durable goods. The MARTS also provides an estimate of monthly sales at food service establishments and drinking places.
The estimates produced in the MRS are critical to the accurate measurement of total economic activity.
*Frequency:* Monthly.
*Respondent's Obligation:* Voluntary.
*Legal Authority:* Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 131 and 182.
This information collection request may be viewed at *www.reginfo.gov.* Follow the instructions to view the Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on the following website *www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.* Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB Control Number 0607-0717.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.