U.S. retail sales surprised to the upside in August, rising 0.6% mom to USD 732.0B, well ahead of expectations for a 0.2% mom increase. Core categories also posted robust results, with sales excluding autos up 0.7% mom to USD 592.3B and sales excluding gasoline up 0.6% mom to USD 680.3B. Sales excluding both autos and gasoline gained 0.7% mom to USD 540.1B, pointing to broad-based consumer strength.
The latest figures confirm resilience in household spending despite high borrowing costs and moderating labor market conditions. Over the June–August period, total retail sales rose 4.5% yoy, extending steady growth and highlighting the consumer’s role as a key driver of U.S. activity.
