Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Anne d'Innocenzio

Retail sales up 0.8% in September, but a big chunk of spending went to paying gasoline bills

Retail Sales - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Shoppers showed their willingness to spend in September even after a better-than-expected splurge in August.

But a big chunk of their purchases last month went toward paying the bills at the gas pump, according to the Commerce Department's latest snapshot on retail sales released Thursday.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.