Casey’s General Stores Inc. reported a 16.3 percent increase in prepared food sales in September compared with a year earlier; that marked the 10th consecutive month of double-digit growth in the category. According to statistics on the Ankeny-based company’s website, the streak began with a 10.1 percent rise in December 2010, and the highest monthly figure since then was 16.7 percent in June.

Gasoline sales, however, showed a year-over-year decrease in September for the eighth month in a row. The gallons sold fell 2.1 percent compared with September 2010.

Sales of groceries and other merchandise have increased every month since June 2010, but the year-over-year rise hit double digits only once in that span, a 13.4 percent jump in October 2010.