Strong auto sales helped in a modest gain for retail spending in August although the final numbers still fell short of expectations. Retail sales increased by 0.03 percent last month as compared to 0.05 percent in July, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The August figure was led by a 2.8 percent growth in auto sales, according to the Commerce Department. The increase in retail, however, was about half of what had been expected.