From Inflation To AI: How Retailers Can Stay Ahead This Holiday Season

We're more than halfway through 2026, and retail leaders are confronting a familiar challenge with new urgency: how do you keep moving forward amid persistent uncertainty while proving that investments in AI are delivering real business value?

Forbes • Aug 30, 2026

Should You Invest in the VanEck Retail ETF (RTH)?

Launched on December 20, 2011, the VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Consumer Discretionary - Retail segment of the equity market.

Zacks Investment Research • Aug 25, 2026

Consumer Spending Loses Steam? ETFs to Gain/Lose

U.S. consumer spending may lose steam as tax-refund support fades, real cash flow stagnates and lower-income shoppers turn cautious. Here are ETFs to gain or lose.

Zacks Investment Research • Aug 20, 2026

Q2 2026 U.S. Retail Preview: Broadline Retail Drives Growth

The U.S. consumer remains resilient enough to support earnings growth, but that resilience is increasingly concentrated. The LSEG U.S. Retail and Restaurant Q2 earnings index, which tracks changes in the growth rate of earnings within the sector, is expected to show a 67.0% growth over last year's levels. Of the 185 retailers tracked by LSEG, the Broadline Retail sector, representing a wide variety of consumer goods, is headed for the highest earnings growth rate in the second quarter, recording a 231.1% surge over last year's level.

Seeking Alpha • Aug 17, 2026

Retail Sales Fall Unexpectedly in July

U.S. headline retail sales fell unexpectedly in July, down 0.6% to $763.6B in July, while core retail sales fell unexpectedly by 0.3%. Key Takeaways Headline retail sales fell unexpectedly in July, down 0.6% to $763.6 billion.

ETF Trends • Aug 14, 2026

Retail ETFs: Following the Selective Consumer

The consumer remains resilient, but spending is becoming increasingly selective. Bank of America's August Consumer Checkpoint showed total card spending per household increased 5.0% year-over-year in July, with spending excluding gasoline up 4.3%. Although growth moderated from June, Bank of America attributed much of that slowdown to the fading of temporary boosts, including the timing of major online sales and World Cup related spending, rather than a broad deterioration in underlying demand.

ETF Trends • Aug 13, 2026

Weekly Economic Snapshot: Inflation Cools, But Energy Headwinds Loom

A handful of key economic data points dropped last week, painting a picture of an economy that is successfully downshifting from its recent inflation peaks even as consumers keep their footing.

ETF Trends • Jul 20, 2026

Retail Sales Rise for Fifth Straight Month

According to the Census Bureau's Advance Retail Sales Report, consumer spending rose for a fifth straight month in June. Headline sales were up 0.2% as expected, marking a slowdown from May's 1.0% increase.

ETF Trends • Jul 16, 2026

RTH: Despite Growth Potential, These Risk Factors Are Emerging

VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) earns a Hold rating due to premium valuations already reflecting AI-driven growth potential in top holdings. RTH's largest positions—Amazon, Walmart, and Costco—face valuation risk, with forward P/Es of 28.6x, 40x, and 45x, respectively. Consumer pressures such as low savings rates and high credit card delinquencies elevate risk for discretionary spending and sector performance.

Seeking Alpha • Jul 16, 2026

Mid-Year 2026 U.S. Retail/Restaurant Outlook

The LSEG Retail/Restaurant Index reported Q1 2026 earnings growth of 27.2%. Retail earnings in the first quarter of 2026 received a significant boost from a historic tax refund season, reinforcing consumer spending at a time when the labor market remained resilient. Q2 2026 earnings are currently expected to mark the weakest growth rate of the year, with consensus forecasts calling for a gradual improvement during the second half of the year.

Seeking Alpha • Jul 7, 2026