The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for August, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $456.3 billion, a decrease of 0.3 percent (±0.5%)* from the previous month, and 1.9 percent (±0.7%) above August 2015. Total sales for the June 2016 through August 2016 period were up 2.4 percent (±0.5%) from the same period a year ago.

The June 2016 to July 2016 percent change was revised from virtually unchanged (±0.5%)* to up 0.1 percent (±0.2%)*. Retail trade sales were down 0.5 (±0.5%)* from July 2016, and up 1.4 percent (±0.7%) from last year. Nonstore retailers were up 10.9 percent (±1.4%) from August 2015, while Health and Personal Care Stores were up 7.8 percent (±2.3%) from last year.