US retail sales excluding gasoline and autos staged a strong rebound in August 2026, rising 1.2% month-over-month after a 0.2% decline in July, according to data updated on 16 September 2026.
The improvement marks a sharp turnaround in core retail spending, which had contracted in July 2026. On a month-over-month comparison basis, the August figure reflects a renewed pickup in underlying consumer demand once volatile categories such as fuel and vehicles are stripped out.
With the previous reading showing a 0.2% drop from June to July, the 1.2% gain in August suggests that July’s weakness was temporary rather than the start of a sustained slowdown in core retail activity. Investors and policymakers may view the latest data as a signal that US consumers remain resilient heading into the latter part of 2026.
