NEW YORK—The pace of sales at U.S. retailers was unchanged in September from August as rising prices for rent and food chipped away at money available for other things.
Retail sales were flat last month, down from a revised 0.4 percent growth in August, the Commerce Department reported Friday. Retail sales fell 0.4 percent in July.
Excluding sales of automobiles and at gas stations, retail sales rose 0.3 percent. Excluding gas sales, spending was up 0.1 percent
While the report showed the resilience of the American consumer, the figures are not adjusted for inflation unlike many other government reports. In fact, sales at grocery stores rose 0.4 percent, helped by rising prices in food….