Retail Sales Improve 0.9% in August

Retail sales increased 0.9% in August, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The rise followed a revised 0.6% increase in July, revised down from an originally reported 0.8%.

The August upturn topped economists’ median forecast of a 0.7% increase, Bloomberg reported.

Purchases excluding autos increased 0.8%, while sales excluding fuel rose 0.3%.

Almost all trucking operations depend on the health of retail sales because such sales involve nearly every type of cargo.