by Calculated Risk on 10/15/2014 08:59:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales decreased 0.3% from August to September (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 4.3% from September 2013. Sales in August were unrevised at a 0.6% increase.

From the Census Bureau report:

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for September, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $442.7 billion, a decrease of 0.3 percent from the previous month, but 4.3 percent (±0.9%) above September 2013. ... The July to August 2014 percent change was unrevised from 0.6% (±0.2%).

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows retail sales since 1992. This is monthly retail sales and food service, seasonally adjusted (total and ex-gasoline).


Retail sales ex-autos were down 0.2%. 

The second graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993.

Retail sales ex-gasoline increased by 5.2% on a YoY basis (4.3% for all retail sales).

The decrease in September was above consensus expectations of a 0.1% decrease.

This was a weak report.