U.S. retail sales climbed higher in August, according to data from the Commerce Department. That indicates that consumer spending is showing strength despite the Delta-variant spread and supply chain issues.
Retail sales rose +0.7% from the prior month to $618.7 billion in August, thereby beating the Street consensus forecast of a -0.8% decline. In July, retail sales fell -1.1% vs. a prior estimate of a -0.5% decline.
Stripping out auto and gasoline sales, August retail sales grew +1.8%, compared to a Street consensus of +0.1%