by Calculated Risk on 11/15/2018 08:48:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.8 percent from September to October (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 4.6 percent from October 2017.

From the Census Bureau report:

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for October 2018, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $511.5 billion, an increase of 0.8 percent from the previous month, and 4.6 percent above October 2017.

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 were up 0.5% in October.

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 3.6% on a YoY basis.

The increase in October was above expectations, however sales in August and September were revised down.