\n<\/p>\n
NEW YORK — <\/span>Shoppers showed their willingness to spend in September even after a better-than-expected splurge in August.<\/p>\n Retail sales increased 0.8% last month, after delivering a revised 1.3% gain in August, according to the Commerce Department\u2019s report Thursday. Economists were anticipating a 0.3% increase for the month, according to FactSet.<\/p>\n Still, excluding business at gas stations, retail sales rose 0.2% in September. The government figures aren\u2019t adjusted for inflation, which accelerated last month<\/a> as gasoline<\/a> and many other goods and services became more expensive.<\/p>\n In fact, business at gas stations rose 6.4%, according to the Commerce Department’s report, as shoppers spent more on gas per gallon.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, business at furniture and home furnishings stores rose 1.3%, while electronics and home appliance stores saw a 0.6% increase. Department stores posted a 1.6% sales gain. Business at online retailers rose 0.3%, according to the report.<\/p>\n The data offers only a snapshot of consumer spending and doesn\u2019t include activities like travel and hotel stays. But the lone services category \u2013 restaurants \u2013 registered a 1.1% increase.<\/p>\n Many Americans continue to spend despite skyrocketing gas prices<\/a> that have accompanied renewed fighting<\/a> in the Middle East. <\/p>\n The average price for regular gasoline rose overnight to $4.33 per gallon Thursday, according to motor club AAA. Before the war began, the cost of gas per gallon was less than $3.<\/p>\n The retail sales report comes as U.S. employers added a disappointing 29,000 jobs<\/a> and the unemployment rate ticked up last month, the government reported earlier this month. Still, the U.S. job market has proven solid in the face of a series of shocks, from tariffs to the Iran War.<\/p>\n