Retail Sales Probably Climbed in August: U.S. Economy Preview

Retail sales in the U.S. probably increased in August for a second month as merchants lured shoppers with discounts, a sign the economy will keep expanding, economists said before reports this week.

A projected 0.3 percent gain in sales is based on the median estimate of 63 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News before the Commerce Department’s Sept. 14 report and follows a 0.4 percent rise in July. Other reports may show industrial production cooled and inflation was contained.