U.S. retail sales unexpectedly rose in August as a decline in receipts at auto dealerships was more than offset by strength in online purchases, suggesting that the economy remained on solid footing through much of the third quarter.

US retail sales increased 0.1% to reach $710.8 billion in August, beating market estimates, according to advance figures released on Tuesday by the US Commerce Department. The estimate was for the figure to show a decline of 0.2%.

Retail sales edged up by 0.1% from July to August, according to the Commerce Department. This modest increase follows a larger surge last month, which marked the highest growth rate in retail sales in a year and a half.