Retail Sales Were Up In August

NEW YORK (AP) — Consumers stepped up their spending at a better-than-expected pace in August after an unexpectedly sharp pullback in July. Retail sales rose 1.2% last month after recording a revised 0.5% dip in July, according to Commerce Department data released Wednesday. The decline in July was notable because there had been few signs of fatigue from U.S. consumers. Americans spent heavily during the World Cup and Amazon Prime Day sales this summer. That followed heavy retail traffic in April and May as Americans dipped into their government tax refunds. Excluding gas prices, retail sales rose 1.1% in August. The government figures aren’t adjusted for inflation.