Inflation Keeps Rising in September — OpenBrand CPI Delivers Data as BLS Release Delayed

Prices rose +0.58% MoM, led by personal care & communication categories, as OpenBrand provides one of the few active CPI readings amid the federal shutdown.

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES, October 9, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- U.S. consumer prices for durable and personal goods accelerated for a second straight month in September, according to the latest OpenBrand Consumer Price Index (CPI). The index rose +0.58% month-over-month, up from +0.45% in August, marking the tenth consecutive monthly increase.

Price growth was led by personal care products (+0.76%), communication devices (+0.76%), and home improvement goods (+0.69%), while appliances saw flat prices (0.0%), suggesting tariff-related cost pressures may be stabilizing.

“Price gains in personal care and communications show that consumers are still willing to spend on smaller everyday categories, even as big-ticket goods like appliances hold steady,” said Ralph McLaughlin, Chief Economist at OpenBrand. “It’s a sign that inflation momentum remains uneven but persistent across the durable goods sector.”

Discount activity also showed signs of tightening: the share of products on discount fell to 23.1%, down from 24.4% in August, while average markdowns deepened to 20.6%, matching 2025’s highest reading from March. Retailers appear to be entering Q4 with selective pricing strategies, offering fewer promotions but larger discounts to stimulate demand.

The OpenBrand CPI tracks real-time prices across more than 400,000 individual products, including appliances, electronics, personal care, and home improvement goods — more than double the coverage of the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI. As the BLS faces release delays amid the federal government shutdown, OpenBrand’s independent, high-frequency dataset continues to offer a timely alternative lens on consumer inflation.

Key Highlights – September 2025 Data
- Headline CPI: +0.58% MoM (vs. +0.45% in August)
- Top categories: Personal Care (+0.76%), Communication (+0.76%), Home Improvement (+0.69%)
- Flat category: Appliances (0.0%)
- Discount Frequency: 23.1% (down from 24.4%)
- Discount Depth: 20.6% (up from 19.7%)


About the OpenBrand CPI
The OpenBrand Consumer Price Index for Durable and Personal Goods provides a detailed monthly read on inflation trends across major consumer categories, leveraging daily price and promotion data from over 400,000 SKUs. The index offers earlier and more granular insight than government statistics, helping journalists, retailers, and policymakers track inflation dynamics in real time.
Download the full report: openbrand.com/cpi

Press contact: press@openbrand.com
Media interviews: ralph@openbrand.com

Sidney Waterfall
OpenBrand
press@openbrand.com

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