US consumers took to the shops in July spending more on goods ranging from cars to electronics, as sales at retail outlets rose a greater-than-expected 1.4%.
It was the biggest monthly increase since January, according to the Commerce Department, and well above the 0.8% gain which analysts' were expecting.
Excluding sales of cars, retail sales rose 1%, which was the biggest rise since January.
Last month's gain in retail sales follows a 0.4% decline in June, which had been initially reported as a 0.1% decrease.
The healthy showing in retail spending, a major driver of the economy, comes after Federal Reserve policy-makers earlier this week decided to keep the target federal funds interest rate steady at 5.25% after more than a two-year run of rate hikes in a battle to curb inflation.
