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U.S. retail sales rose for the 12th consecutive month in September, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. Sales excluding auto dealers and gas stations reached $560.8 billion, while building and garden supply sales rose 2.66% from a year earlier. The figures show continued spending alongside pressure on household budgets from higher gasoline prices.
U.S. retail sales rose for the 12th straight month in September, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor released October 8 by the National Retail Federation. Sales excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations totaled $560.8 billion, up 0.28% from August and 4.05% from September 2025 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The NRF said higher gasoline prices continued to affect household budgets.
The September results were slightly stronger than the August increases in both monthly and annual comparisons. The monitor recorded August growth of 0.22% month over month and 3.87% year over year for total retail sales under its measure. September’s corresponding increases were 0.28% and 4.05%. The figures describe sales growth, not a direct measure of household financial comfort or inflation-adjusted purchasing power.
A narrower measure that also excludes restaurants put September core retail sales at $453.1 billion. That total rose 0.27% from August and 3.73% from a year earlier, seasonally adjusted. In August, the same measure increased 0.17% month over month and 3.47% year over year, according to the Retail Monitor.
Building and garden supply sales were $44.0 billion in September, up 0.07% from August and 2.66% from September 2025. The source report does not provide further details about individual product categories, transaction volumes or whether sales gains reflected higher prices, more purchases, or both.
Growth Amid Household Budget Pressure
The report recorded continued increases in sales. The NRF said households remained budget conscious as gasoline took a larger share of family budgets. The sales figures do not show how consumers allocated spending across categories or whether increased sales reflected higher prices, more purchases, or both.
The NRF said higher fuel costs can leave households with less money for other purchases and that retailers were emphasizing affordability, promotions and value pricing. The report does not include data measuring how individual households adjusted their spending or the effect of gasoline costs on purchases.
Building and garden supply sales were higher than in August and above the year-earlier level. The report provides no breakdown by retailer or product, so it does not identify which parts of the sector contributed to the increase.
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How September Compared With August
The figures come from the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, which the National Retail Federation released on October 8. The reported total excludes automobile dealers and gasoline stations. Its core retail measure excludes those categories as well as restaurants, so the two totals cover different parts of retail activity and should not be treated as interchangeable.
Both measures showed faster growth in September than in August in the comparisons supplied by the report. The September numbers were seasonally adjusted, as were the stated month-over-month and year-over-year comparisons. The NRF also connected September spending to a solid back-to-school season, but the source does not quantify how much that shopping period contributed to the monthly result.
What the Sales Totals Do Not Show
The figures do not say how much of sales growth came from higher prices versus an increase in the number of goods purchased. The source also does not give details on household income groups, regional differences, online versus in-store purchases, or the performance of individual retailers.
The NRF’s comments about gas prices, essential purchases and retailer promotions are attributed statements. The supplied report does not include a separate measure quantifying gasoline’s effect on budgets or documenting how much consumers shifted spending toward essentials. It also does not provide a forecast for the coming months.
Upcoming Data to Watch
The next updates will show whether the monthly growth streak continues and whether the pace changes as retailers move beyond the back-to-school period. Readers can compare future Retail Monitor releases with September’s reported 0.28% monthly increase in total sales and 0.27% increase in core sales, while keeping the measures’ exclusions in mind.
Further releases or additional data would be needed to clarify the roles of prices, purchase volumes and household budget constraints. The report supplied here does not specify a date for the next Retail Monitor publication.
Key Questions
How much did retail sales rise in September?
Sales excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations were $560.8 billion, up 0.28% from August and 4.05% from September 2025, seasonally adjusted, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor.
What does the report mean by core retail sales?
In this report, core retail sales exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants. The September total was $453.1 billion, up 0.27% from August and 3.73% year over year.
How did building and garden supply sales perform?
The sector recorded $44.0 billion in September sales, an increase of 0.07% from August and 2.66% from a year earlier.
Does the report show that shoppers bought more goods?
Not by itself. The report gives sales totals and growth rates but does not separate changes in prices from changes in the quantity of goods purchased.
Why did the NRF say consumers were budget conscious?
NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay said higher gasoline prices were taking a larger share of family budgets and that households were concentrating on everyday essentials. The supplied report does not quantify those effects.
Source: rss
