AlHijjah 29, 1433, Nov 14, 2012, SPA -- U.S. retail sales fell in October for the first time in three months as superstorm Sandy halted auto purchases, the government reported Wednesday, suggesting a loss of momentum in spending early in the fourth quarter. The Commerce Department said retail sales fell 0.3 percent last month following a 1.3 percent gain in September. Economists had expected a slightly smaller decline for October. The drop in retail sales last month partly reflected the impact from superstorm Sandy, which hit the densely populated east coast, limiting auto sales. The department said it had indications from companies that the storm had both positive and negative effects on October's sales data. Vehicle sales fell 1.5 percent, the biggest decline since August 2011, after increasing 1.7 percent in September. Auto manufacturers have blamed the storm for the drop in sales, and they expect sales to rebound this month. Excluding autos, retail sales were unchanged in October after advancing 1.2 percent the previous month. The storm also likely reduced sales at clothing stores, which fell 0.1 percent after rising 0.4 percent in September. Surprisingly, sales of building materials fell 1.9 percent last month, defying expectations of a gain from pre-storm purchases.
