WASHINGTON—Americans stepped up their spending at retailers last month in the latest sign that healthy consumer spending is driving the economy’s steady growth.
Retail sales rose 0.4 percent from September to October, the Commerce Department said Friday, a solid increase though less than the previous month’s robust 0.8 percent gain.
A 1.6 percent jump in sales at auto dealers drove much of the gain. Purchases climbed 2.3 percent at electronics and appliances stores and 0.7 percent at restaurants and bars. Though some of October’s rise in retail sales reflected higher prices, it mainly indicated increased purchases.
Sales in some categories fell—furniture stores, clothing outlets, and drug stores, among them—though economists said that weakness likely resulted, at least in part, from last month’s hurricanes. Sales at home and garden stores rose, potentially reflecting rebuilding activity after the storms….