US retail sales rose just 0.2% in June, but consumers resilient once fuel spending stripped out
US retail sales rose just 0.2% in June, but shoppers proved resilient once spending at the petrol pump is stripped out, the Associated Press reported on 16 July 2026 (https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxQOExicUVOVk5LQmF0UDk4Q0UxUnlLS3R4VW1zRnM3X1RtX0xCM2NRVWttcHgtYXFQMTVvZWVUcVhTazNRZ0U2MlVJTEpRQWFubTF4U2h1Y09tbGVQOHVBMDBVTTdkY3lrZVZXbWdMcTVBYUxIaEZvdmhLUC13YWJnaUxzdXExRHAyUjhOd3RiVQ?oc=5).
By Source Reporters Newsdesk
Sat, 18 July 2026 · 1 min read
US retail sales rose just 0.2% in June, but shoppers proved resilient once spending at the petrol pump is stripped out, the Associated Press reported on 16 July 2026 (https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxQOExicUVOVk5LQmF0UDk4Q0UxUnlLS3R4VW1zRnM3X1RtX0xCM2NRVWttcHgtYXFQMTVvZWVUcVhTazNRZ0U2MlVJTEpRQWFubTF4U2h1Y09tbGVQOHVBMDBVTTdkY3lrZVZXbWdMcTVBYUxIaEZvdmhLUC13YWJnaUxzdXExRHAyUjhOd3RiVQ?oc=5).
Consumer spending accounts for roughly two-thirds of the US economy, so the monthly retail-sales reading is watched closely by investors and policymakers around the world as a real-time gauge of global demand. A soft headline number therefore carries weight far beyond US borders.
The weak top-line figure was flattered by elevated fuel costs, the AP noted, with spending at petrol stations dragging on the aggregate even as underlying household demand held up. Higher pump prices have been a recurring theme this month amid renewed conflict involving the US and Iran that has pushed up oil prices.
The data landed as the Federal Reserve weighs its next interest-rate move, with markets highly sensitive to any sign of cooling in the American consumer. Earlier reporting this week pointed to Fed officials signalling possible rate hikes even as President Trump presses for cuts, underscoring the political and market stakes around the growth outlook.
A sustained slowdown in US consumption would carry global implications given the country's role as the world's largest import market, weighing on exporters from Europe to Asia that depend on American demand.
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