U.S. consumers continue to spend, despite supply constraints causing a shortage of vehicles and other goods.
Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimate that September retail sales fell a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in September from the previous month, with car purchases declining as few vehicles were on dealer lots. Excluding autos, sales are estimated to have risen 0.5% as households shrugged off the end of enhanced unemployment benefits and high Covid-19 case levels caused by the Delta variant.
