Money
Real Retail Sales Turn Negative as CPI Outpaces Nominal Spending
Forward Guidance
The Consumer Cushion Is Almost Gone | Weekly Roundup
"CPI month over month was 0.6%. And then you have retail sales headline of 0.5%, control group of 0.48%. So in real terms, we actually have negative prints on retail sales. It was just nominal due to inflation."
The podcast revealed that when adjusting for inflation, retail sales have turned negative, with CPI rising 0.6% month-over-month while retail sales increased only 0.5%. The hosts argued this represents a critical inflection point where consumers can no longer absorb price increases, with discretionary spending categories like autos, clothing and furniture all declining as gasoline costs surge.
From this episode
Forward Guidance