by Calculated Risk on 9/15/2015 08:38:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales were up 0.2% from July to August (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 2.2% from August 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 August, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $447.7 billion, an increase of 0.2 percent from the previous month, and 2.2 percent above August 2014. ... The June 2015 to July 2015 percent change was revised from +0.6 percent to +0.7 percent.

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 0.4%.

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 4.2% on a YoY basis (2.2% for all retail sales including gasoline).

The increase in August was below the consensus expectations of a 0.3% increase, however sales in July were revised up. An OK report.