Building material dealers show gains over last year

Retail sales increased 1.2%, according to the tally from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Figures released today showed U.S. retail and food services sales for October, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $373.1 billion, an increase of 1.2% from September.

While the data were seen as a healthy showing aided by auto sales for the retail industry, a look at the home channel categories reveals more of a mixed bag of results.

Estimates of September sales for NAICS code 444 -- Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers -- were $23.604 billion, down 1.9% from $24.063 billion in August, but up 6.5% from $22.171 billion in the same month last year.

For NAICS code 44413 -- Hardware stores -- the government's estimate for September was $1.457 billion, down 3.3% from $1.507 billion in August and up slightly from $1.446 billion in September last year.

Elsewhere in the monthly U.S. Census Bureau report: Non-store retailers showed a significant gain, up 13.5% from last year.