Sales Drop 1st Time in 4 Months

WASHINGTON — Retail sales, hurt by lagging demand for autos as dealers phased out end-of-the-model-year incentive programs, fell 0.4% in September, the first drop in four months, the government said today.

The Commerce Department said retail establishments sold $128.8 billion worth of goods in September, down $500 million from the August sales level after adjusting for seasonal variation. It was the first monthly sales drop since May, when sales fell 0.1%, and the biggest drop since January’s 7.1% decline.