US Retail Sales Rise 0.8%, Gasoline Dominates Growth

U.S. retail and food-services sales rose 0.8% in September to $745 billion, topping forecasts after an upwardly revised 1.3% gain in August. The headline increase was driven largely by gasoline stations: higher fuel receipts accounted for most of the monthly dollar gain, while sales excluding both autos and gasoline grew just 0.2%, a result that may not indicate meaningful underlying growth. Because the figures are not adjusted for price changes, higher gasoline prices boosted sales values without necessarily reflecting greater fuel consumption. A separate National Retail Federation measure, which excludes auto dealers and gas stations, showed sales up 0.28% from August and 4.05% year over year, marking a 12th consecutive monthly increase. The NRF data also showed mixed performance across categories, with electronics and appliances strong year over year while furniture and home furnishings declined.