Monthly sales data shows positive numbers

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for August were $406.7 billion, up 0.9% from the previous month and up 4.7% compared with the same month last year.

The figures, released Friday morning, are adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes.

Sales building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers, NAICS 444 businesses, were $24.013 billion, up 1.0% from July and up 1.4% from August 2011.

Retail trade sales in total were up 0.9% from July and up 4.4% from a year ago. Nonstore retailers showed a 10.6% increase in sales from a year ago, according to the report.