US retail sales fall more than expected in August

US retail sales fell 0.3% in August to a seasonally adjusted $456.32 billion, the Commerce Department said Thursday. 

The reading was below expectations of a 0.1% decline and marked the first decline in retail sales since March. July’s reading was upwardly revised to +0.1%, an initial flat reading.     

Excluding autos, retail sales last month fell 0.1%, below the 0.2% rise expected.