Following four months of gains, retail sales fell 0.5% in September to $43.3 billion. Sales were down in 8 of 11 subsectors, representing 60% of retail trade. After removing the effects of price changes, particularly lower gasoline prices, retail sales in volume terms edged up 0.1%. Chart 1 Chart 1: Retail sales down in September Retail sales down in September Chart 1: Retail sales down in September Lower sales at gasoline stations Sales at gasoline stations declined 3.7% in September to their lowest level since January 2015, reflecting lower prices at the pump. According to the Consumer Price Index, unadjusted ... (full story)