US retail sales increased for the 12th consecutive month in September, despite continued pressure on consumer budgets from higher gasoline prices, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. Total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, reached $560.8 billion in September, increasing 0.28% month over month and 4.05% year over year on a seasonally adjusted basis. That compares with increases of 0.22% month over month and 3.87% year over year in August. Core retail sales, which also exclude restaurants, totaled $453.1 billion in September, up 0.27% from August and 3.73% from September 2025. In August, core sales increased 0.17% month over month and 3.47% year over year. Year-over-year sales increased across all retail categories except furniture and home furnishings, which declined 2.7%. Electronics and appliances recorded the largest increase, with sales rising 8.41% year over year.

“Retail sales rose again last month as consumers continued to spend following a solid back-to-school shopping season,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay in a press release. “Households remain budget conscious, concentrating on everyday essentials even as higher gasoline prices continue to absorb a larger share of family budgets.” He added that retailers continued to emphasize affordability through promotions and value pricing.

Full implementation of an enhanced methodology for the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor began with this September report. Find more on the new methodology here. NRF noted that the latest month-over-month and year-over-year results are not directly comparable with Retail Monitor figures published before September 2026 because of these methodology changes.