Retail ETFs: Defensive Retail Meets Digital Growth

The consumer is still spending, but with a higher level of caution. Inflation remains a persistent pressure point, particularly for lower- and middle-income households.

ETF Trends • May 21, 2026

Online Sales Jump 9.8% as Consumers Lean Into Digital Shopping

The most revealing number in the latest spate of retail data may not be how much consumers in the United States spent. It may be that 16.9% of all retail sales now happen online.

PYMNTS • May 19, 2026

Weekly Economic Snapshot: Inflation Resurgence

The U.S. economic landscape in April was defined by a significant rebound in inflation across both consumer and wholesale sectors, complicating the path for future monetary policy. While retail sales figures indicated continued consumer activity, the data suggests much of this growth was driven by rising fuel prices rather than increased volume.

ETF Trends • May 18, 2026

Retail Sales: Consumer Spending Rises for Third Straight Month

For an inflation-adjusted perspective on retail sales, take a look at our Real Retail Sales commentary. Here is the introduction from today's report: Advance Estimates of U.S. Retail and Food Services Advance estimates of U.S.

ETF Trends • May 14, 2026

Weekly Economic Snapshot: Resilience Amid Record Sentiment Lows

Last week's economic data was defined by conflicting signals from the consumer. While retail figures suggest resilience, sentiment levels have plummeted to record lows.

ETF Trends • Apr 27, 2026

Retail Sales Jump 1.7% in March, Higher Than Expected

The Advance Retail Sales Report from the Census Bureau showed consumer spending was more robust than expected in March. Headline sales jumped 1.7%, a sharp acceleration from February's 0.7% rise and above the projected 1.4% growth.

ETF Trends • Apr 21, 2026

IBUY's 10-Year Anniversary Marks Decade-Long Journey in Online Retail

Exactly 10 years ago, the Amplify Online Retail ETF (IBUY) debuted, marking a decade since its inception gave investors concentrated exposure to digital commerce. In 2016, IBUY established the notion that retail was becoming more of a technology story.

ETF Trends • Apr 20, 2026

Amplify ETFs Offer Unique Angles on Income, Thematics

The rise of Amplify ETFs is one of the more interesting stories in the U.S. ETF industry. Although it only launched its first ETF under that brand in 2016, its founder, Christian Magoon, was a well-known figure in the ETF space long before that.

ETF Trends • Apr 17, 2026

Bull vs. Bear: Is the AI Revolution Nearing a Dot-Com Correction?

The debate over whether artificial intelligence has entered bubble territory has reached a fever pitch. For this edition of Bull vs Bear, writers Nicholas Peters-Golden and DJ Shaw discuss the disconnect between infrastructure spending and software revenue.

ETF Trends • Apr 8, 2026

Retail Sales Rise 0.6% in February, More Than Expected

The Advance Retail Sales Report from the Census Bureau showed consumer spending was more robust than expected in February. Headline sales rose 0.6%, a step up from January's 0.1% decline and better than the projected 0.5% growth.

ETF Trends • Apr 1, 2026