The 0.7 percent climb in sales last month comes after a 1.8 percent decline in July and gains earlier in the summer.
Retail sales increased slightly in August, the Commerce Department reported Thursday, highlighting an uneven pace for the economic recovery as spending behavior swings month over month. The 0.7 percent climb in sales last month comes after a 1.8 percent decline in July and gains earlier in the summer. The gains in August, better than what economists expected, were prompted by a rise in spending on clothing, electronics and furniture and home goods.
