by Calculated Risk on 11/13/2015 08:40:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales were up 0.1% from September to October (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 1.7% from October 2014.

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 $447.3 billion, an increase of 0.1 percent from the previous month, and 1.7 percent above October 2014. ... The August 2015 to September 2015 percent change was revised from +0.1 percent to virtually unchanged.

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 increased 0.1%.

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

Retail and Food service sales ex-gasoline increased by 4.1% on a YoY basis (1.7% for all retail sales including gasoline).

The increase in October was below expectations of a 0.3% increase,and sales in August and September were revised down.   This was a weak report, however sales ex-gasoline are still up a decent 4.1% YoY.