With inflation trending down, and retail sales numbers edging up, the Federal Open Markets Committee is going into its late July meetings with fairly positive numbers.
While both sales and inventories are up, analysts warn that consumers are being picky about what they purchase. And wholesalers need to decide how much to stock up for the uncertain future.
Economists warn that as tax refund season ends and the war in Iran pushes prices higher across more categories, the long-running disconnect between how consumers feel and how they spend may finally start to close.