Prime Day and World Cup Weigh on Retail Sales

Retail sales declined by 0.6% in July compared to the previous month, according to recent data.

This decrease was the largest since May 2025 and failed to meet economists' expectations of a 0.1% gain. In fact, it even missed the revised forecast of a 0.2% increase for June.

The poor retail sales report may have been influenced by Amazon's Prime Day event, which took place in July this year. The timing of Prime Day coincided with the World Cup, a major sporting event that draws large audiences and drives consumer spending. Some experts suggest that these two factors combined to skew the retail sales numbers.