NEW YORK (AP) — Americans continued to spend at a solid clip in September even as they face sticker shock at the grocery stores and elsewhere and even as snarled global supply chains are limiting the flow of goods. Retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 0.7% in September from the month before, the U.S. Commerce Department said Friday. Consensus estimates were for a decrease of 0.5%, according to a survey of economists by FactSet. Sales at clothing and accessories stores rose 1.1%, while online sales were up 0.6%. Gasoline stations saw sales rise 1.8%, boosted by higher prices at the pump. Sales at restaurants and bars, many of which believed they were through the worst of the pandemic until the arrival of the delta variant, were up 0.3% from the month before.
Photo: Shoppers browse a shoe department at the Nordstrom NYC Flagship store, in New York, Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Like many of its peers, venerable department store chain Nordstrom is having a tough time keeping pace with customer demand for new clothes because of supply issues. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
