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US Retail Sales Preview: Will July’s Consumer Spending Momentum Continue?
On Tuesday (Sept. 17), we’ll find out if the July surge in consumer spending — as measured via unadjusted retail sales — has amounted to a blip or a trend. The monthly data from the Department of Commerce (this time for August) will offer a snapshot of how consumers are grappling with inflation. We’ll see whether they are simply running in place or buying more goods, filling their in-store and online baskets in ways that should cheer merchants headed into the final few months of the year. Last month, retail sales spiked 1% in July, where the consensus had been that there would be 0.4% growth, as measured ... (full story)