Surprise uptick in spending as delta spreads

Americans kept shopping last month, despite a rise in COVID-19 cases. Retail sales rose a seasonal adjusted 0.7 percent in August from the month before, the U.S. Commerce Department said Thursday. It was much better that the 0.85 percent decline Wall Street analysts had expected. But Thursday’s report does show a shift in how the delta variant has changed where Americans spend their time and money. Online sales soared 5.3 percent last month, while sales at restaurants and bars were flat from the month before.