Rising by 1.1 percent, sales were driven by the increased purchase of electronic goods, cars and petrol. With August’s retail sales figures also being revised up to 1.2 percent, the increases in both months represent the largest rises seen since October 2010.
Seen as a key indicator of the strength of the US economy, retail sales officially drive about 70 percent of its economic activity. Sales in most major sectors experienced growth, with the 4.5 percent rise in electronic goods being attributed in part to the release of Apple’s latest iPhone model.
The latest figures raise hopes that US economic growth may have picked up in the third quarter of the year.
