by Calculated Risk on 9/13/2013 08:53:00 AM

On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.2% from July to August (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 4.7% from August 2012. From the Census Bureau report:

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for August, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $426.6 billion, an increase of 0.2 percent from the previous month, and 4.7 percent above August 2012. ... The June to July 2013 percent change was revised from +0.2 percent to +0.4 percent.

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows retail sales since 1992. This is monthly retail sales and food service, seasonally adjusted (total and ex-gasoline).

Retail sales are up 28.7% from the bottom, and now 12.8% above the pre-recession peak (not inflation adjusted)

Retail sales ex-autos increased 0.1%. 

Excluding gasoline, retail sales are up 25.8% from the bottom, and now 13.3% above the pre-recession peak (not inflation adjusted).

The second graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993.

Retail sales ex-gasoline increased by 5.4% on a YoY basis (4.7% for all retail sales).

This was below the consensus forecast of 0.5% increase in retail sales, however sales for July were revised up.