Konsum: US-Einzelhandel mit überraschendem und kräftigem Umsatzrückgang
US-Einzelhändler meldeten ein Umsatzminus von 0,6 Prozent – Ökonomen hatten mit Wachstum gerechnet. Hinter dem Rückgang stecken Sondereffekte und gesunkene Benzinpreise.
The US retail sector began the second half of the year with surprising and strong sales declines, according to the US Trade Department's report released on Friday in Washington. Sales contracted by 0.6 percent compared to the previous month, contrary to the economists' forecast of a modest growth of 0.1 percent, as reported by Reuters.
Economists attributed the decline to several factors. The generous tax refunds that boosted consumer spending in the second quarter have now been exhausted, they said. Additionally, a one-off effect came into play: Amazon, the online retailer, had moved its discount campaign "Prime Day" from July to June, which bolstered sales in the previous month.
Meanwhile, lower fuel prices dampened revenue at gas stations. Automakers also reported weaker sales figures. A closer look at the data revealed the weakness in July: After adjusting for volatile items such as auto sales and fuel, core sales, an important indicator for Gross Domestic Product, fell by 0.4 percent. Private consumption is the primary growth driver for the US economy, accounting for over two-thirds of economic performance.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
