NEW YORK—Americans cut back on retail spending in October, ending six straight months of gains, though the decline was partly driven by falling prices for both gasoline and cars.
Retail sales fell 0.1 percent last month after jumping a strong 0.9 percent in September, according to a report released Wednesday by the Commerce Department. September’s figure was revised higher from an initial 0.7 percent gain. Excluding sales of gas and autos, retail sales ticked up 0.1 percent.
