🌎 It’s World Press Freedom Day. Stand with Marketplace and our independent journalism. Donate now

Inflation is hiding within retail sales spikes

Nov 16, 2021
While prices are rising for consumers, that's not discouraging them from making purchases.
A woman shops at a Miami Target in September. While retail sales were up 16.3% year over year in October, inflation is eating up a lot of that increase.
Joe Raedle via Getty Images

Do you really need to do holiday shopping early?

Nov 1, 2021
Retailers have their own reasons to get people to do their holiday shopping early. It's not all supply chain.
People wearing protective masks walk by holiday windows in New York City.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images

COVID surge might not be the main factor in retail sales drop

Aug 17, 2021
The obvious explanation for July's 1.1% dip would be the coronavirus delta variant. Not so fast; inflation may also be a culprit.
Despite consumer purchases being down 1.1% last month, they were still nearly 16% higher than in July 2020.
Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Housing Works

Consumers face higher prices as businesses pass on costs of shortages

Jun 8, 2021
Higher costs for labor and supplies are increasing price tags.
With pent-up demand now unleashed, many businesses can't find enough labor or supplies to satisfy consumers.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Retail sales were flat in April, falling short of estimates

May 14, 2021
But considering what we're comparing them to — the stimulus-fueled month of March — that's not so bad.
In April, people spent less on things like clothing and furniture and more at bars and restaurants.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Simon Property Group bets on retail comeback with store leases

May 11, 2021
The commercial landlord agreed to lower mall retailers' base rents for a bigger cut of their sales.
Rather than evict or sue some of its tenants that missed rent payments, mall owner Simon Property renegotiated "break points."
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Why a rise in wholesale inventories could be a beacon of optimism

Apr 28, 2021
Wholesalers are like the middlemen of the retail supply chain, buying goods from manufacturers to sell to retailers.
Increased wholesale inventory signals expectations of strong retail demand. But for how long?
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

New data points to strengthening economic recovery this year

Apr 15, 2021
Jobless claims and retail spending data out Thursday suggest that the economy's laying the groundwork for recovery.
This March, spending at restaurants rose by more than spending at grocery stores, a positive sign for economic recovery.
Octavio Jones/Getty Images

March retail sales soar 9.8% thanks to relief payments

Apr 15, 2021
Newly vaccinated and armed with $1,400 stimulus checks, Americans went on a spending spree last month.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

How has the economy changed over the past year, in 8 charts

Mar 16, 2021
Indicators like alcohol and sweatpant sales paint a picture of how we lived the past pandemic year.
Frozen food sales in the U.S. rose by almost 24% between February 2020 and last month.
ljubaphoto/Getty Images