The US Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of US retail and food services sales for October, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $347.5 billion, an increase of 1.4 percent from the previous month, but 1.7 percent below October 2008. A local barometer of manufacturing was reported to have fallen today.

Total sales for the August through October 2009 period were up 1.5 percent from the same period a year ago. The August to September 2009 percent change was revised from -1.5 percent -2.3 percent.

Retail trade sales were up 1.4 percent from September 2009, but 2.1 percent below last year.

And aside from cars in October, other sales rose just 0.2 percent.

US sales of cars and parts recovered partly, up by 7.4 percent in October after September sales had fallen 14.3 percent after the ending of the 'cash-for-clunkers' scrappage incentive scheme.

October retail sales rise 1.4 percent, topping estimates. The CNBC news team and Dennis Gartman, founder of The Gartman Letter, analyze the data:

Gasoline stations sales were down 15.0 percent from October 2008 and building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers were down 15.0 percent  from last year.

The New York Federal Reserve reported today that a barometer of manufacturing in New York State fell in November, signalling factory slowed for the first time in four months.

The Fed's "Empire State" general business conditions index fell to 23.51 in November from 34.57 in October, which was from a five-year high.