The recent increase in gasoline prices doesn't appear to bedeterring members and others from buying cars.

That's according to analysis from Money AnxietyIndex, which measures economic indicators that impact consumerbehavior.

From December 2009 to December 2011, gas prices more thandoubled from a national average of $1.59 to $3.21 per gallonaccording to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administrationcited by MAI. During the same time period, auto sales increased by25.3% from $52 billion to $65 billion per month according toseasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Census Bureau, also cited bythe index.

“Thus far, there is no evidence the increase in gasoline pricesin the last two years has adversely impacted any major retailcategory,” said Dan Geller, chief research officer at MAI in San Francisco.“However, this does not mean that at some price point, gasolineprice will not have a negative impact on retail sales. What is thisprice point? Time will tell.”

Auto sales are not the only major retail category thatexperienced large increases in sales despite the doubling of thegas prices, according to MAI. Non-store retails, such as online andmail order stores, increased their monthly sales by 26.4% over thelast two years. Building material stores were up by 18.6%, jewelrystores increased by 14.1% and restaurants and bars were also up by12.6%.