Retail Sales Listless; Gas Prices Blamed

[Nambe]

CHICAGO (Reuters)

U.S. retailers on Thursday reported weaker-than- expected August sales, generating the smallest monthly gain in a year and a half as high gasoline prices cut into back-to-school spending. ,,

The retail sales figures -- which came one day after top U.S. automakers posted weaker sales and announced production cuts -- deepened worries about consumer spending and the overall health of the U.S. economy. ..

Kurt Barnard, head of Retail Forecasting Group, said despite the laundry list of reasons offered up for poor August sales, there were two primary causes: ``It's the price of gasoline and a pervasive sense across the nation that there aren't any jobs available.'' ..
Ride Don’t Drive * * It’s Global Cool

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. According to the "experts" the price of gas is irrelevant

anymore, since people don't actually spend money on gas.

[rsmith6621]

2. Thank You Shrubya........

Thank you very much

[Ramsey]

3. Consumer confidence?

Earlier this week I read that consumer confidence was significantly improved this month? How does that jive with poor retail sales. Wouldn't consumer confidence be at least partly reflected by retail sales?

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. No I think that the consumer confidence is actually down

this month. It was one of the first indicators reported this week.

[llmart]

6. No, consumer confidence numbers were down.

n/t

[llmart]

5. I thought it was the Florida hurricanes???

Boy, I just can't keep up with the excuses any more.

It's the economy, stupid!!

[mbperrin]

7. pervasive SENSE that no jobs are available????

Let's face it - jobs are teetotally missing right now!!!!