Dive Brief:

• Retail sales rose a slight .2% last month, with core retail sales (excluding auto sales, gas, building materials, and food) growing a healthy .6%, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. 

• Still, America’s average annual wage growth of 2% is not enough to boost consumer spending in ways that will make a big difference to the economy, many economists are saying.

• The “spring bounce” expected after a brutal retail-whacking winter is pretty much over, SouthBay Research’s Andrew Zatlin told the Wall Street Journal.

Dive Insight:

June’s retail sales report paints a healthy picture, but it’s not the report retailers are looking for. In fact, it jives with many retailers' June reports of same-store sales. Despite a strengthening job market, a healthy stock market, and generally low inflation, consumers don’t have a lot of wiggle room because their wages are standing still at a time when certain prices are rising, economists say. This is an issue that is likely to keep the minimum wage debate alive and well, and keep retailers on their toes.