Despite rising consumer prices, Americans demonstrate strong purchasing power, bolstering economic growth.
The US retail sector witnessed an encouraging surge in July, outpacing predictions and demonstrating the robust spending capability of American consumers. Data from the Commerce Department unveiled on Tuesday indicated a significant inclination of consumers towards hobbies, clothing, and sporting commodities. Such trends continue despite the Federal Reserve’s rigorous endeavors to mitigate inflation through interest rate hikes.
Goldman Sachs’ economists have responded to this data by uplifting their third-quarter gross domestic product tracking estimate to an impressive 2.2% annualized rate, a hike from the preceding 2.4% in the April-June quarter.
Driving this robust demand is the strong wage growth, attributed to the tight labor market. While the upward trajectory of consumer spending is evident, experts remain uncertain about the Federal Reserve’s inclination towards increasing rates in the upcoming month, especially given the receding inflation.
The Commerce Department disclosed a 0.7% upswing in retail purchases for July, even after taking into account the adjustments from the prior couple of months. It’s essential to note that these numbers aren’t corrected for inflation. Last week’s government report highlighted a moderate increment in July’s consumer prices, with the core inflation reflecting a further slow down.
Capital Economics’ Deputy Chief US Economist, Andrew Hunter, commented, “Unless we observe a sharp decline in core inflation, the mere resilience in growth won’t suffice to instigate further rate augmentations by the Fed.”
Retail statistics from June underwent revisions, portraying a 0.3% upsurge, a slight adjustment from the prior 0.2%. In July, nine out of the thirteen retail categories recorded an uptick, with notable boosts in sectors like clothing, sporting goods, and eateries.
A combination of a robust labor market and enhanced wages has empowered Americans to splurge across diverse commodities and amenities. Their spending behaviors currently serve as a protective shield for the US economy, holding off recessions, despite the elevated interest rates.
E-commerce platforms, including giants like Amazon, observed a remarkable 1.9% sales elevation, the highest for the year. Amazon’s Prime Day significantly contributed to this spike, with the company registering its highest-ever sales on the event’s inaugural day.
Home Depot reported earnings surpassing analysts’ anticipations on Tuesday. While comparable sales dipped, they were above the expected drop. Retail magnates like Target Corp. and Walmart Inc. are set to reveal their earnings in the coming week.
While these numbers predominantly represent goods over services, it’s clear that consumer demand for a multitude of merchandise categories remains strong, especially after accounting for the recent dip in goods prices.
However, the future of consumer expenditure is slightly ambiguous. Potential threats to economic momentum include escalating delinquencies, heightened debt service charges, depletion of savings from the pandemic era, and the resumption of student loan reimbursements. On the brighter side, a large segment of Americans are witnessing their wages outpacing inflation, enhancing household purchasing capability.
As we approach year-end, there’s a growing apprehension about a potential decline in spending. A section of economists is advocating the theory that diminishing job growth could impede wage advancements. Several challenges loom, such as dwindling excess savings and the upcoming end of the student loan moratorium.
Credit card debts have soared, with delinquencies peaking to an 11-year high in Q2, as per recent data from the New York Fed. Nonetheless, for a subset of economists, the pivotal determinant for consumer expenditure remains rooted in the labor market’s performance.