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Markets · October 23, 2026 · 1 min read

September retail sales rise 0.8% to $745B as gasoline receipts jump 6.4%

By Econ Data Tools Editorial Team

Published October 23, 2026 • Updated October 23, 2026

Reviewed by Instinct source QC

Advance U.S. retail and food services sales rose 0.8% in September to $745.0 billion, 6.3% above September 2025, the U.S. Census Bureau reported. Gasoline station receipts jumped 6.4% on higher fuel prices, and August's gain was revised up from 1.1% to 1.3%.

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales reached $745.0 billion in September, up 0.8 percent from August on a seasonally adjusted basis and 6.3 percent above September 2025, the U.S. Census Bureau reported. August's monthly gain was revised up from 1.1 percent to 1.3 percent, and total sales for the July-through-September period ran 5.5 percent above the same period a year ago. Gasoline stations drove the largest category move, with receipts jumping 6.4 percent in the month and 28.1 percent over the year as fuel prices climbed. Food services and drinking places rose 1.1 percent, department stores gained 1.6 percent, furniture and home furnishings stores added 1.3 percent, and sales excluding motor vehicles and parts rose 0.9 percent. Nonstore retailers, mostly e-commerce, edged up 0.3 percent in the month and 8.2 percent over the year. The gains were not broad-based. Miscellaneous store retailers fell 3.0 percent, building material and garden equipment dealers slipped 0.6 percent, sporting goods stores declined 0.5 percent, general merchandise stores dipped 0.1 percent, and clothing store sales were flat. The advance report, released October 15, is the Census Bureau's earliest read on monthly consumer spending. The next advance report, covering October, is scheduled for release November 17.

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