Shoppers browse at a grocery store in Washington, D.C. Retail sales dipped in February after surging in the previous month. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
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People shop at a mall in Houston. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption
People walk along 5th Avenue in Manhattan, which is one of the nation's premier shopping streets, on Feb. 15, 2023. Consumer spending was unexpectedly strong last month. That's good for the economy – but not so good for inflation prospects. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption
Despite high inflation, Americans are spending like crazy — and it's kind of puzzling
Retail spending dipped in November compared to October, as holiday sales bit into inflation. Isabel Pavia/Getty Images hide caption
New research tackles the central question about "buy now, pay later": Does it encourage people to overspend? Peter Dazeley/Getty Images hide caption
In a year marked by inflation, 'buy now, pay later' is the hottest holiday trend
People walk by a hiring sign in a store window in New York on Nov. 17. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption
How understaffed are stores? Smaller retailers feel the holiday-shopping strain
A sign promote sales at a clothing store in a Colorado mall. David Zalubowski/AP hide caption
People shop at a Macy's in New York this month. Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
More Retail Workers Are Quitting Than Ever, But More Stores Are Opening Than Expected
A bartender mixes a drink inside a bar last week in San Francisco. The latest retail sales data out on Friday showed an increase in sales at restaurants and bars as more people venture out amid the continued reopening of the U.S. economy. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
Diners eat lunch at Max's Oyster Bar in West Hartford, Conn., on March 19. Retail sales surged last month as $1,400 relief payments and easing coronavirus restrictions led shoppers to open their wallets. Jessica Hill/AP hide caption
Signs Of Economic Boom Emerge As Retail Sales Surge, Jobless Claims Hit Pandemic Low
A shopper walks past a mostly bare shelf as people stock up on necessities at the H-E-B grocery store in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 18. A devastating winter storm that hit the middle of the country last month helped send retail sales tumbling. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
People walk in front of stores in New York's Herald Square. Retail sales soared 5.3% last month compared to December as U.S. families began receiving new federal coronavirus relief checks. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Shoppers walk past a "Sale" sign outside a store at the Easton Town Center Mall in Columbus, Ohio, on Jan. 7. Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
Shoppers walk through Macy's in New York on Black Friday last month. Retail sales declined 1.1% in November, according to the Commerce Department. Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
U.S. Retail Spending Declined The Most Since Historic Plunge In April
People wait in line outside for their turn to enter the JD Sports store in New York City on Nov. 5. Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Shoppers stroll through the newly reopened Westfield Santa Anita mall in Arcadia, Calif., on Oct. 7. Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
People walk through the newly reopened mall at Hudson Yards in New York. U.S. shoppers spent more prudently in August and retail sales grew a tepid 0.6% from July. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption
A pedestrian walks by Saks Fifth Avenue as New York City continues relaxing more restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic. Cindy Ord/Getty Images hide caption
Customers wait in line to enter a Zara store inside the newly reopened Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, N.J., on June 29. Seth Wenig/AP hide caption
Social distancing instructions are posted at California's Westfield Santa Anita shopping mall on June 12, as local businesses enter Phase 3 reopening. Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Pandemic Hits Spending Hard; 79% Dive In Clothing Sales Leads A Record Plunge
Retail sales plunged a record 8.7% last month as the coronavirus pandemic shut down economic activity around the country. Mark Lennihan/AP hide caption
People walk by a Black Friday promotional at Cookie's department store Friday in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Bebeto Matthews/AP hide caption
Major U.S. stock indexes posted small gains Thursday, a day after their steepest drops of the year. Richard Drew/AP hide caption