U.S. retail sales rose 0.8% in September, beating forecasts

U.S. retail sales rose 0.8% in September, exceeding economists' expectations of a 0.3% increase, according to a Commerce Department report released Thursday. The gain followed a revised 1.3% surge in August, with gas station sales jumping 6.4% due to higher prices. Furniture stores rose 1.3%, department stores gained 1.6%, and restaurants increased 1.1%, though excluding gas stations, sales grew only 0.2%. The data comes amid rising inflation, with consumer prices up 3.7% year-over-year in September, and gas averaging $4.33 per gallon. Analysts caution that spending may be driven by higher prices rather than broad strength, as job growth slowed to 29,000 last month.