An unexpected decline in August retail sales and downward revisions to the prior two months mainly reflected weaker results at auto dealerships, Commerce Department figures showed Friday.
Overall sales fell 0.2% (est. 0.1% gain) after a 0.3% increase (prev. 0.6% gain).
The latest results make it more likely that consumption, the biggest part of the economy, will be hard-pressed to match the 3.3 percent growth pace of the prior quarter.
Retail control group sales rose an annualized 1.1 percent in the three months ended in August, slowing from the 3.9 percent pace from May through July, the report showed. At the same time, an increase in purchases at furniture outlets and restaurants indicates demand is being supported by a healthy job market.
The Commerce Department said in a special notice that it couldn’t isolate the effect of Hurricane Harvey on the data because it tracks activity on a national scale. The overall response rate was within the range of the past 12 months, though data collection lagged behind in areas affected by the Harvey and Irma.
Vehicle demand, which was already cooling, probably took a further hit from Harvey. Industry figures showed August sales of cars and light trucks posted the weakest monthly pace since early 2014.
News by Bloomberg, edited by ESM. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
