Retail sales in the US increased 0.8% month-over-month in September 2026, following an upwardly revised 1.3% rise in August and well above forecasts of a 0.3% gain. Sales at gasoline stations soared 6.4% due to higher prices. Other increases were seen in sales at furniture stores (1.3%), food services & drinking places (1.1%), health & personal care stores (0.7%), electronics & appliances (0.6%), food & beverages (0.4%), nonstore retailers (0.3%), and motor vehicle & part dealers (0.2%). On the other hand, sales stalled at clothing stores and fell at miscellaneous store retailers (-3%), building materials & garden equipment (-0.6%), sporting goods, hobby, musical instruments & books (-0.5%) and general merchandise stores (-0.1%). Meanwhile, sales excluding food services, auto dealers, building materials stores and gasoline stations, which are used to calculate GDP, were up 0.1%, following a 1.2% rise in August.