Retail Sales Fall 1.5%; Improve Excluding Automobiles

Retail sales fell 1.5% in September, though improved excluding automobiles, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The overall decrease followed a revised 2.2% gain in August. Economists had forecast September sales would drop 2.1%, Bloomberg reported.

Purchases excluding automobiles rose 0.5%, more than economists’ forecasts, while sales at auto and parts stores plunged 10%, the most in four years.

Furniture, department, grocery and clothing stores all saw increased sales, Bloomberg reported.

Auto-related demand had spiked in August on the government’s “cash for clunkers” program, in which the government offered rebates of up to $4,500 toward new car purchases for consumers turning in older cars or light trucks.

Almost all trucking operations depend on the health of retail sales because such sales involve nearly every type of cargo.