US retail sales rise 1.2 percent in August; online sales gain 2.6 percent

US retail and food services sales rose 1.2 percent in August to a seasonally adjusted $773.9 billion, the Census Bureau said Wednesday. The monthly change had a margin of error of 0.4 percentage point.

Sales excluding motor vehicles rose 1.4 percent. Excluding both motor vehicles and gasoline, they rose 1.2 percent.

Nonstore retailers gained 2.6 percent, while gasoline stations gained 3.1 percent. Building material and garden supply dealers were the only broad category to decline, down 0.2 percent.

Census revised July's decline to 0.5 percent from 0.6 percent. August sales were 6.0 percent above a year earlier. The figures are not adjusted for price changes.