Amazon and Walmart held sales promotions last month, including on back-to-school essentials.

U.S. retail sales increased solidly in July, boosted by strong demand for motor vehicles as well as promotions by Amazon and Walmart, though a softening labour market and higher goods prices could curb growth in consumer spending in the third quarter.

Retail sales rose 0.5 per cent last month after an upwardly revised 0.9-per-cent gain in June, the Commerce Department’s Census Bureau said on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales, which are mostly goods and are not adjusted for inflation, advancing 0.5 per cent after a previously reported 0.6-per-cent rise in June. Part of the rise in retail sales last month could be due to tariff -driven price increases rather than volu

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