**Consumer Spending Slows:** Retail Sales Flat in April Amid Inflation Concerns and Fed’s Pivot – What’s Next?
New York, United States – Recent data from the Commerce Department indicates that retail sales in the US remained stagnant in April, raising concerns about the state of the consumer amidst persistent inflation and rising interest rates. This marks a significant slowdown from the 0.6% increase observed in March, falling short of economists’ expectations of a 0.4% spending increase. In addition to the flat retail sales, data revealed that excluding auto and gas sales, retail …