Retail sales in January jumped by 3.8% from December to $649.8 billion. This was much better than the 2% increase expected by economists.
But it’s also the case that consumers generally have the financial capacity to pay for those higher prices, thanks to a combination of rising employment, higher wages, and accumulated excess savings.
And it turns out that overall, having the capacity to pay is more than offsetting the downside that comes from negative sentiment tied to inflation. It’s a contradiction that’s proving bullish for businesses and investors in those businesses.