Headlines

Retail Sales Saw July Decline

Overall retail sales fell 1.1 percent in July.

Published

2 years ago

August 23, 2021

INSTORE Staff

Retail sales reportedly declined 1.1 percent in July, which was worse than the anticipated decline of 0.3 percent, reports CNBC.

Book stores, Musical instrument and sporting goods stores had a sales decrease of 1.9 percent, and clothing took a 2.6 percent dip. Car and motor vehicle parts dealers’ sales fell 3.9 percent. Online sales also had a decline of 3.1 percent.

Despite this, food and beverage sales were up 1.7 percent and gas sales saw a 2.4 percent increase. Restaurants and bars also had a 38.4 percent increase in sales from this time a year ago.

“Although retail sales fell in July, the outlook for consumer spending remains positive … However, spending growth will shift from goods to services over the next couple of years, limiting growth in most categories of retail sales,” says Gus Faucher, Chief U.S. Economist at PNC, CNBC reports.

It Was Time to Make a Decision. It Was Time to Call Wilkerson.

Except for a few years when he worked as an accountant, Jim Schwartz has always been a jeweler. He grew up in the business and after “counting beans” for a few years, he and his wife, Robin, opened Robin James Jewelers in Cincinnati, Ohio. “We were coming to a stage in our life where we knew we have to make a decision,” says Jim Schwartz. He and Robin wanted to do it right, so they called Wilkerson. The best surprise (besides surpassing sales goals)? “The workers and associations really care about helping us move out own inventory out of the store first. It was very important to us.”