Over all, retail sales fell 1.5 percent in September from a month earlier — better than a projected decline of 2.1 percent — according to a Commerce Department report. Backing out autos, which dropped 20% from their Cash-for-Clunkers summer high, leads to the half-a-percent increase. Although economists cheered the performance, the gain was due to increased spending on necessities like food and gasoline. The New York Times Oct. 14, 2009
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