US Retail Sales Rose 0.8% in September 2026 to $745B
American consumers kept spending in September, pushing retail and food services sales up 0.8% from August to $745 billion.
U.S. retail and food services sales climbed to $745.0 billion in September 2026, a 0.8 percent increase from the prior month, according to advance estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The monthly gain, which carries a margin of error of plus or minus 0.4 percentage points, signals continued consumer activity heading into the final quarter of the year.
The September reading follows a revised 1.3 percent jump recorded in August 2026, suggesting that household spending remained broadly resilient across consecutive months. Back-to-back gains of this magnitude indicate sustained demand at the retail level, though the pace of growth moderated slightly from August's stronger advance.
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The advance monthly retail report covers sales at stores, restaurants, and food service establishments, making it one of the broadest near-real-time gauges of consumer behavior in the U.S. economy. Because the figures are advance estimates, they are subject to revision as more complete data become available from surveyed businesses.
Consumer spending accounts for the largest share of U.S. economic output, and consecutive monthly increases in retail sales can reflect factors ranging from wage growth and employment levels to shifts in prices. Analysts typically watch the series closely for early signals about gross domestic product trends in any given quarter.
Continue reading at U.S. Census Bureau Economic Briefing Room.
