US retail sales grew at a slower pace than anticipated in September, government data showed Tuesday, as higher prices added to affordability concerns while firms grappled with an uptick in business costs.

Publication of official economic data has recently been delayed by a record-long goverment shutdown, and the latest figures suggest that consumer spending lost steam towards the end of the summer.

Economists warn that the softening in sales is likely to persist as President Donald Trump's tariffs add to costs while the labor market weakens.

Overall retail sales picked up by 0.2 percent on a month-on-month basis, said the Commerce Department, slightly below analyst expectations and cooling from August's 0.6 percent increase.

A separate report by the Labor Department showed that wholesa

See Full Page