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Retail sales excluding auto dealers and gas stations reached $560.8 billion in September, up 0.28% from August and 4.05% from a year earlier, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. Building and garden supply sales were $44.0 billion, up 2.66% year over year. The figures show continued growth, but the report says higher gasoline prices are putting pressure on household budgets.
U.S. retail sales rose for a 12th consecutive month in September, with sales excluding auto dealers and gasoline stations reaching $560.8 billion, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor released October 8 by the National Retail Federation. Building and garden supply sales also increased from a year earlier, while NRF chief executive Matthew Shay said higher gas prices were weighing on household budgets.
September retail sales excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations were up 0.28% from August and 4.05% from September 2025, seasonally adjusted, the Retail Monitor reported. August’s comparable increases were 0.22% month over month and 3.87% year over year. The figures indicate that the measured pace of sales growth strengthened slightly between the two months.
The report’s core retail sales measure, which also excludes restaurants, totaled $453.1 billion in September. That was up 0.27% from August and 3.73% year over year. In August, core sales had risen 0.17% month over month and 3.47% year over year, according to the same monitor. These measures use different exclusions and should not be treated as interchangeable.
In the building and garden supply sector, sales reached $44.0 billion, rising 0.07% from August and 2.66% from a year earlier. The sector’s month-to-month increase was smaller than its annual gain. The source report provides these figures but does not break down the sales by product category or explain how much reflected prices versus the number of goods sold.
Growth Amid Household Budget Pressure
The figures point to continued spending across the retail categories tracked by the monitor, but they do not show that households have equal room to spend across all types of purchases. Higher gasoline prices can absorb money otherwise available for other goods, a pressure Shay cited in describing consumers as budget conscious and focused on everyday essentials.
For retailers, the NRF’s account suggests that promotions and value pricing remain part of the response to shoppers’ budget concerns. The building and garden supply increase is relevant to businesses in that trade, but the reported totals alone do not establish what drove the gain or whether it reflects stronger demand, higher prices, or both. The data offer a timely measure of sales momentum, not a complete picture of consumer financial health.
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How September Compares With August
The September release follows another month of growth in August. On the report’s broad measure—retail sales excluding auto dealers and gasoline stations—the monthly increase moved from 0.22% in August to 0.28% in September. The year-over-year rate moved from 3.87% to 4.05%. Core sales, which exclude restaurants as well, also recorded higher monthly and annual growth rates in September than in August.
The Retail Monitor is the source for the sales estimates cited in the Hardware Retailing report. Its totals and percentage changes refer to distinct categories and comparison periods: month-over-month figures compare September with August, while year-over-year figures compare September with the same month a year earlier. The available report describes the 12-month run of increases but does not provide a longer historical comparison or additional detail about the calculation method.
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What the Sales Figures Do Not Show
The reported growth rates do not identify how much of the increase came from higher prices versus more goods sold. The source material also does not give separate figures for gasoline prices, household income, inflation-adjusted spending, or sales by individual building and garden product categories. Those details would be needed to assess the underlying volume and causes of the reported gains.
Shay’s comments about gas costs, essential purchases and retailer pricing are attributed explanations from the NRF, not measurements included in the sales totals. The figures also cover only the categories and exclusions specified by the Retail Monitor; they do not by themselves describe all consumer spending or the financial position of every household.
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Next Retail Monitor Readings
The next Retail Monitor release will show whether the monthly increase continues and whether year-over-year growth holds across the same sales measures. For retailers in building and garden supplies, subsequent sector results will indicate whether September’s 2.66% annual gain is sustained. The source report does not specify a date for the next release, so its timing remains unconfirmed.
Readers comparing future updates should check whether the figures are seasonally adjusted and whether the same exclusions and comparison periods are being used. Additional data on prices, sales volumes and household budgets would help clarify what is behind the reported growth.
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Key Questions
How much did retail sales increase in September?
Sales excluding auto dealers and gasoline stations totaled $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?
The monitor’s core measure excludes restaurants as well as auto dealers and gasoline stations. It totaled $453.1 billion in September, rising 0.27% month over month and 3.73% year over year.
How did building and garden supply sales perform?
Sales in the sector reached $44.0 billion, up 0.07% from August and 2.66% from a year earlier, according to the report.
What pressure on shoppers did the NRF identify?
NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay said higher gasoline prices were taking a larger share of family budgets. He also described households as budget conscious and focused on everyday essentials.
Do the figures show whether more goods were sold?
Not on their own. The source report gives sales totals and percentage changes but does not separate changes in prices from changes in sales volume.
Source: rss
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