Retail Sales Rise More Than Expected In August

MIAMI - SEPTEMBER 15: Paulo Dacosta and Leandro Dacosta (R) shop at a Best Buy Inc.'s store on September 15, 2009 in Miami, Florida. The U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday that retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 2.7 percent last month with the sales of electronics, appliances, department and sporting goods stores helping boast the number along with car sales. Even as Best Buy's fiscal second-quarter earnings fell a bigger-than-expected 22% the company reports that the number of customers visiting their store increased as they continue to gain market share because of the closing of Circuit City stores. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)