US Retail Sales Beat Forecasts in Sign of Solid Summer Spending

US retail sales rose in August for a third month in a broad advance, rounding out a summer of resilient spending.

The value of retail purchases, not adjusted for inflation, increased 0.6% after a similar gain in July, Commerce Department data showed Tuesday. That beat all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Excluding cars, sales climbed 0.7%.

Nine out of 13 categories posted increases, led by online retailers, clothing stores and sporting goods, likely reflecting back-to-school shopping. Motor vehicle sales rose at a slower pace, even though some economists expected it to be a drag on ...