$BTC U.S. CONSUMER IS CRACKING: Retail Spending Just Hit an 8-Month Low 🚨
The backbone of the U.S. economy is starting to wobble. Core retail spending fell −0.1% in December, marking the weakest reading in eight months-and it happened right in the heart of the holiday season. Big-ticket and discretionary categories took the hit: clothing, furniture, electronics, and auto dealers all declined, while only a handful of areas like building materials and sporting goods managed small gains.
The pressure is hitting lower-income households the hardest as essentials eat up a growing share of budgets. Adding fuel to the fire, wage growth slowed to just ~0.7% in Q4, the weakest pace since 2021. Because retail spending feeds directly into GDP, this data is flashing a clear warning: consumer demand is cooling, and economic growth is slowing-fast.
Is this the early signal of a broader economic slowdown markets haven’t priced in yet?
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