[5] The U.S. Census Bureau's Retail Sales for last month underscored that while folks feel some angst, they are still spending away. The school bus is on the wayIn the here and now, the back-to-school shopping season is in full swing. The back-to-school shopping season is the second-largest spending event on the calendar; only the winter holiday period sees more consumer activity, per the NRF. [8]Big picture, total back-to-school spending is forecast to approach $39 billion, second only to last year's all-time high of $41.50 billion. [9]Earnings on tapBoth the consumer staples and consumer discretionary sectors will be in focus starting on Aug. 13.
