The Commerce Department released the US retail sales data on Wednesday. The U.S. retail sales declined 0.3% in September, missing expectations for a 0.1% drop, after a 0.6% gain in August.
Retail sales excluding automobiles fell 0.2% in September, missing expectations for a 0.2% increase, after a 0.3% rise in August.
Sales at clothing retailers fell 1.2%, while sales at electronics and appliance stores rose 3.4% in September. Sales at auto dealers declined 0.8%.