October retail sales showed positive growth, with total sales reaching $718.9 billion, a 0.4% increase from September and a 2.8% rise year-over-year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and National Retail Federation (NRF). Specific segments like retail trade sales also rose by 0.4% monthly and 2.8% annually, while non-store retailers, including e-commerce, grew by 7.0% annually. NRF indicated that core retail sales remained steady month-over-month but increased by 5.4% annually, aligning with their forecast for 2024 growth of 2.5%-3.5%.

Source: https://www.scmr.com/article/retail-sales-see-gains-in-october-reports-commerce-and-nrf