August Retail Sales Up

Retail sales rose slightly last month — 0.6 percent — the U.S. Commerce Department said Friday. The figure is slightly better than July’s 0.3 percent sales increase. Clothing retailers fared below the average, gaining just 0.3 percent in August, while sporting goods store sales rose 0.9 percent.

Electronics and appliance retailers saw an increase of 0.7 percent, while building materials and garden equipment suppliers rose 1.4 percent, according to CNBC. The largest gains were seen at auto dealerships, which saw a sales bump of 1.5 percent.