September Retail Sales Mark 12Th Month Of Steady Growth

TL;DR

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U.S. retail sales excluding auto dealers and gas stations increased 0.28% month over month in September and 4.05% from a year earlier, the 12th consecutive month of growth, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. Building and garden supply sales totaled $44.0 billion, up 2.66% year over year. The report says higher gasoline prices were weighing on household budgets, but does not quantify that effect.

U.S. retail sales rose for a 12th consecutive month in September, increasing 0.28% from August and 4.05% from September 2025, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor released October 8 by the National Retail Federation. The report excludes automobile dealers and gasoline stations from its total and comes as the NRF says higher gasoline prices are taking a larger share of household budgets.

Retail sales in the report totaled $560.8 billion in September, with both the monthly and annual comparisons seasonally adjusted. The monthly increase was slightly faster than August’s 0.22%, while the year-over-year rate rose from 3.87% in August to 4.05% in September. These figures describe the Retail Monitor’s defined sales measure, not all spending categories.

The Monitor’s narrower measure of core retail sales, which also excludes restaurants, was $453.1 billion. It increased 0.27% from August and 3.73% from a year earlier. August’s corresponding increases were 0.17% month over month and 3.47% year over year.

For the building and garden supply sector, sales reached $44.0 billion in September. The sector was up 0.07% from August and 2.66% from a year earlier, according to the report. The source does not provide further detail about which product categories or types of retailers accounted for that change.

Household Budgets Shape Spending

The figures point to continued growth in the sales measures tracked by the Retail Monitor, while the NRF describes consumers as budget conscious and focused on everyday essentials. That combination matters to retailers: sales can keep rising even when shoppers are paying closer attention to prices and promotions. The report does not establish how much of the growth came from higher prices, increased purchase volumes, or changes in what consumers bought.

For hardware, home improvement and garden businesses, the sector’s 2.66% annual gain offers a specific measure of September performance. Its month-to-month rise was smaller, at 0.07%, so the annual figure should not be read as evidence of strong growth in every month or across every business in the sector.

How September Compares With August

The NRF said September marked the 12th straight month of retail sales growth. Compared with August, both the headline measure and the core measure posted larger monthly and annual growth rates in September: headline sales moved from 0.22% to 0.28% month over month and from 3.87% to 4.05% year over year. Core sales moved from 0.17% to 0.27% month over month and from 3.47% to 3.73% year over year.

NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay linked the spending environment to the back-to-school season and pressure from gasoline costs. The source describes the monitor’s measures and comparisons but does not provide the methodology behind its estimates or separate the effects of prices and quantities sold.

What the Sales Figures Cannot Show

The report does not say how much September’s sales growth reflected higher prices versus more goods sold, nor does it break out the contribution of individual retailers or product lines. It also does not quantify how gasoline prices affected spending, despite Shay’s statement that fuel costs were consuming a larger share of household budgets.

The figures are Retail Monitor estimates for specified sales categories. The source does not provide additional methodological details, revisions, or a forecast for later months. The data therefore confirm the reported increases in these measures, but do not by themselves explain why sales grew or establish whether the pace will continue.

The Next Monthly Sales Reading

The next development will be the Retail Monitor’s reading for the following month, which can show whether the reported monthly growth continues and whether its year-over-year pace changes. Readers can also compare the next building and garden supply result with September’s $44.0 billion total and 2.66% annual increase.

Until further data are released, the available report establishes September’s sales levels and comparisons but offers no prediction for future sales or a quantified measure of the effect of fuel costs. The source does not specify a release date for the next reading.

Key Questions

How much did retail sales rise in September?

The CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor reported sales of $560.8 billion, up 0.28% from August and 4.05% from September 2025, seasonally adjusted. The total excludes automobile dealers and gasoline stations.

What does the report mean by core retail sales?

In this report, core retail sales exclude restaurants as well as automobile dealers and gasoline stations. The measure totaled $453.1 billion in September, up 0.27% month over month and 3.73% year over year.

How did building and garden supply sales perform?

Sales in the building and garden supply sector were $44.0 billion in September. They rose 0.07% from August and 2.66% from a year earlier.

Did the report measure the impact of gasoline prices?

No. NRF chief executive Matthew Shay said higher gasoline prices were absorbing more of family budgets, but the report does not quantify the effect on retail sales.

Source: rss