Retail sales rise more than expected in August
In this photo made Monday, Aug. 11, 2009, a shopper moves through the aisles at Kohl's department store in Springfield, Ill. The Commerce Department said Tuesday, Sept. 15, retail sales rise more than expected in August; sales excluding autos up 1.1 percent.
Retail sales fell slightly less than expected in August, but the underlying trend remained flat, as consumers continued to rein in spending at a time of great economic uncertainty, official data showed.