September 15, 2006	Friday	Sha'aban 21, 1427

WASHINGTON, Sept 14: US retail sales climbed 0.2 per cent in August, the Commerce Department said on Thursday in a report defying predictions of a consumer spending slowdown.

The gains in retail sales excluding the often volatile auto sales sector were also up 0.2pc.

Analysts had called on average for a decline of 0.2 per cent in overall retail sales and a rise of 0.3 per cent excluding autos.

Sales excluding autos and gasoline were up 0.4 per cent, suggesting that the US consumer is not retrenching as some analysts had expected.

General merchandise store sales were up 0.4 per cent, and Internet and mail sales were up 0.3 per cent.—AFP