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U.S. retail sales excluding auto dealers and gas stations increased 0.28% month over month and 4.05% year over year in September, the 12th consecutive month of growth, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. Building and garden supply sales rose 0.07% from August and 2.66% from a year earlier. The report says higher gasoline prices were pressuring household budgets, but it does not quantify their effect on sales.
U.S. retail sales rose for the 12th consecutive month in September, increasing 0.28% from August and 4.05% from September 2025, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor released by the National Retail Federation on October 8. The figures exclude automobile dealers and gasoline stations and were seasonally adjusted; the continued growth came as the NRF said higher fuel costs were putting pressure on household budgets.
Sales in the report’s measure of total retail, excluding auto dealers and gas stations, reached $560.8 billion in September. The month-over-month increase was faster than August’s 0.22%, while year-over-year growth also exceeded August’s 3.87%. These comparisons describe the reported, seasonally adjusted changes, not a measure of how much gasoline prices affected consumer spending.
The monitor’s core retail measure also increased. Excluding restaurants as well as auto dealers and gas stations, core sales totaled $453.1 billion, up 0.27% from August and 3.73% year over year. August’s corresponding increases were 0.17% month over month and 3.47% annually.
In the building and garden supply sector, sales were $44.0 billion, up 0.07% from August and 2.66% from a year earlier. The report does not provide a breakdown by product category or explain which kinds of purchases drove that sector’s growth.
Steady Growth Amid Budget Pressure
The 12-month streak indicates that retail sales, as measured by the monitor, continued to expand through September. The stronger monthly and annual growth rates than those reported for August offer a current snapshot of spending, but they do not by themselves establish how consumers feel about the economy or what they will spend in coming months.
For retailers, the reported gains coincide with a constraint identified by the NRF: households are facing higher gasoline costs and paying close attention to budgets. NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said retailers were using promotions and value pricing to keep everyday products affordable. That account is the NRF’s characterization; the report does not measure how much discounting contributed to sales.
The building and garden supply numbers give businesses in that sector a specific indicator of recent performance. Growth was positive but modest month to month. The data do not show whether the increase reflects a broad improvement across retailers, seasonal demand, or other factors.
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How September Compares With August
The September results were published in the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, with the National Retail Federation releasing the figures on October 8, 2026. The source report describes September as the 12th straight month of retail sales growth. Its comparisons with August show increases in both the total and core measures, month over month and year over year.
The figures cover distinct measures: total retail excludes auto dealers and gas stations, while core retail also excludes restaurants. Both are reported as seasonally adjusted. Keeping those categories separate matters when comparing the headline figures: the $560.8 billion total and $453.1 billion core amount do not include the same types of businesses.
The report also notes that consumers were spending after what Shay described as a solid back-to-school season. It does not provide separate back-to-school sales figures or a detailed account of September spending across the full range of retail categories.
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Fuel Costs and Sales Drivers
The published figures do not identify how much higher gasoline prices affected consumer spending, nor do they provide a breakdown of September growth by retailer, household income, or individual product category. The monitor excludes gasoline stations from the total retail measure, so the headline sales figures are not a direct measure of fuel purchases or fuel-price changes.
The report also does not establish whether the monthly increases will continue. September data describe sales during that month; they do not confirm future consumer behavior or explain what drove the gains beyond the NRF’s comments about back-to-school spending, budgets, and retailer pricing.
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Upcoming Sales Data in Focus
The September release establishes the latest reported reading, but the source article does not give a date for the next Retail Monitor update. Future monthly results will show whether the sales streak continues and whether growth rates change. Readers should compare later figures using the same definitions—particularly the exclusions for auto dealers, gas stations, and, in the core measure, restaurants—and distinguish reported sales growth from explanations of what caused it.
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Key Questions
How much did retail sales rise in September?
Total retail sales excluding auto dealers and gasoline stations increased 0.28% month over month and 4.05% year over year, seasonally adjusted, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor.
What does the 12-month growth streak refer to?
The source report says retail sales rose for the 12th straight month in September. It does not characterize that streak as a guarantee of continued growth.
What were September core retail sales?
Core retail sales were $453.1 billion. This measure excludes restaurants in addition to auto dealers and gas stations, and was up 0.27% from August and 3.73% from a year earlier.
How did building and garden supply sales perform?
Sales in the building and garden supply sector totaled $44.0 billion in September, up 0.07% month over month and 2.66% year over year.
Did higher gasoline prices cause sales to slow?
The NRF said higher gasoline prices were absorbing a larger share of household budgets, but the release does not quantify their effect on retail sales or establish that they caused a slowdown.
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