Summary In January, retailers tallied up their best month since stimulus payments went out in March of last year even as inflation soared to a 40-year high and Omicron raged. The 3.8% increase handily exceeded consensus expectations and was only partly a function of higher prices. Since spending cannot forever outpace inflation, some special factors are at play. We suspect it may have to do with certain merchandise finally becoming available. READ FULL ARTICLE>>
