Retail sales drop on a national level

For the first time in five months, retail sales have dropped.

The Commerce Dept. reports Wednesday that retail sales fell .1 percent in July. This is the first drop in retail sales since a .5 percent drop in February. With gas prices at an all time high in July, shoppers say "no" to anything that's not an essential.

The $92 billion in stimulus checks seem to be just a memory. The fragile economy may slow down even more in the second half of the year. On a good note, the all time high gas prices have been falling, hopefully helping consumer spending in the coming months. Economists are still concerned, wondering if gas prices alone will be enough to change the current consumer spending habits.

Susan Taylor-Demming of Naperville, Ill. says, "Play dates instead of water park adventure." Taylor-Demming says her budget this year has meant that she drove to New Jersey with her two daughters instead of taking a flight for a summer vacation.

Tony Fratto, presidential spokesman at the White House, believes that July sales reflect a decline in auto sales caused by high gas prices. Excluding autos, retail sales would actually have increased .4%.

Read the full article at the Washington Post.