by Calculated Risk on 11/14/2014 08:43:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales decreased 0.3% from September to October (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 4.1% from October 2013. Sales in September were unrevised at a 0.3% decrease.

From the Census Bureau report:

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for October, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $444.5 billion, an increase of 0.3 percent from the previous month, and 4.1 percent above October 2013. ... The August to September 2014 percent change was unrevised from -0.3%.

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-gasoline increase 0.5%.

Retail sales ex-autos increased 0.3%. 

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 5.1% on a YoY basis (4.1% for all retail sales).

The increase in October was above consensus expectations of a 0.2% increase.

Overall this was a solid report.