During the first two years of the pandemic, toy sales in the U.S. grew by 30%. Now, they may be coming back to earth.

Instead of marking down items to clear inventory, retailers are using discounts to draw customers away from competitors.

The Index of Leading Economic Indicators has been pointing to a slowdown for 19 months. It hasn’t materialized.

Shoppers have been pulling back on “discretionary” spending at retailers.

The latest consumer survey from the University of Michigan shows that sentiment dropped for the fourth straight month.

The National Retail Federation predicts at least $957 billion in sales this holiday season. But that might not mean everyone is splurging.

In one poll, 44% of respondents say they’re stressed about the economy. Meanwhile, 34% say they’re optimistic.

The answer will be pretty familiar: consumer spending, and lots of it.

Companies like Target, Walmart and Kohl’s held sales this week aimed at holiday shoppers, and Amazon just wrapped up its second Prime Day event of the year.

And that would mean your paycheck’s purchasing power would be getting a boost relative to inflation.