The Commerce Department announced on Friday the sales at U.S. retailers rose 0.3 percent m-o-m in October, following an unrevised 0.3 percent m-o-m drop in September, supported by motor vehicle purchases and higher gasoline prices.

Economists had expected total sales would increase 0.2 percent m-o-m in October.

Excluding auto, retail sales increased 0.2 percent m-o-m in October after an unrevised 0.1 percent m-o-m decline in the previous month, missing economists’ forecast for a 0.4 percent m-o-m gain.

Meanwhile, closely watched core retail sales, which exclude automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, and are used in GDP calculations, grew 0.3 percent m-o-m in October after a revised 0.1 percent m-o-m decline in September (originally unchanged m-o-m).

In y-o-y terms, the U.S. retail sales rose 3.1 percent in October, following a 4.1 climb in the previous month.