Autos drag down US sales stats

A SHARP drop in auto sales caused largely by a calendar quirk lowered US retail spending in September.

But Americans spent more on most other goods, showing some confidence in the economy before much of the government shut down.

Overall retail sales dipped 0.1 per cent, the Labor Department said on Tuesday - the weakest showing since March.

Auto sales fell 2.2 per cent, the largest decline since October 2012, but the drop occurred largely because the sales calendar pulled Labor Day weekend activity into August, automakers have said.

Excluding autos, gas and building supplies, sales rose 0.5 per cent in September, up from 0.2 per cent in August.

Economists exclude those categories because they tend to be volatile.

Outside of autos, nearly all retailers reported higher sales, including furniture stores, electronics and appliance retailers, and grocery stores.

Sales at clothing stores and department stores were the only others aside from autos to decline.

Consumer confidence fell in September to a four-month low, according to the Conference Board.

In addition to a weaker job market, higher interest rates and a drop in stock prices may have also weighed on Americans' outlook.

Sluggish spending is likely to weigh on growth.

Most economists predict growth slowed in the July-September quarter to an annual rate of about 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent, down from a 2.5 per cent rate in the April-June quarter.

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