Haefele highlighted that core goods experienced their highest increase in two years, driven by the effects of tariffs on household furnishings, appliances, electronics, apparel, and toys. This surge indicates the looming impact of tariff-related costs as they gradually filter through to consumers, with a lag between announcement, stockpiling by importers, and retail pricing.
Significant discounts on electric bikes are available during Amazon Prime Day, with excellent deals offered by retailers like Canyon, Jenson USA, and Backcountry.
Canadian consumers continued to spend in April, but a decline in the May advance estimate for retail sales provides another indication that the economy is heading for a stall in [the second quarter].
Kingfisher's sales increased significantly in Q1, boosted by warm weather and strong demand for seasonal products and online sales, although caution remains for the future.
Despite a challenging global geopolitical landscape, the small increase in both food and non-food sales masked signs of underlying strengthening of demand given March 2025's comparison with last year's early Easter.
'Brits kept calm and carried on shopping in February, despite the economic gloom. A recent quarterly survey by KPMG revealed consumer confidence to be low, with 3 in 5 shoppers saying they were planning to cut spending.'
The figures from the latest US retail sales report were mixed, showing a weak overall growth of 0.2% MoM against contrasting data that suggests consumer resilience.
The Chinese yuan held steady against the U.S. dollar, supported by a rebound in domestic bond yields since the beginning of the year.
The recent strength of the Mexican peso against the dollar reflects domestic wage growth and external economic factors, but caution is necessary due to ongoing vulnerabilities.
