US Retail Sales Stall: A Lackluster End to 2025! 🛍️🛑

The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau is out, and it’s a reality check for the "resilient consumer" narrative. After a strong November, U.S. Retail Sales were unexpectedly unchanged (0.0%) in December 2025, missing the market’s expectation of a 0.4% increase.

🔍 The Numbers at a Glance

Headline Retail Sales: 0.0% (Expected: +0.4%)

Total Sales: $735 Billion

Year-on-Year Growth: +2.4% (A sharp slowdown from November’s 3.3%)

Core Retail Sales (Control Group): Slipped -0.1%, marking the first decline in three months and signaling a potential drag on Q4 GDP calculations.

🚜 What Drove the "Flatline"?

The holiday season finished with a whimper rather than a bang. While some sectors held steady, others saw notable pullbacks:

The Winners: Building materials and garden centers (+1.2%), gas stations, and food services.

The Losers: Discretionary spending took a hit—car dealers, furniture stores, electronics retailers, and clothing stores all posted declines.

The "Costco Economy": Analysts are calling this the "middle-class pivot," where shoppers are hunting for bargains and bulk deals rather than splurging on big-ticket items.

📊 Why This Matters for Crypto ($BTC

A "flat" consumer economy has direct implications for the Federal Reserve and liquidity:

Rate Cut Betting: Weak retail data adds pressure on the Fed to consider earlier rate cuts. If the consumer is tired, the Fed might need to ease policy to prevent a harder landing.#USRetailSalesMissForecast #USTechFundFlows #WhaleDeRiskETH #BinanceBitcoinSAFUFund

USD Under Pressure: The US Dollar Index (DXY) saw modest bearish pressure following the report, slipping below 97.00. As we know, a weakening Dollar is historically the "fuel" for a Bitcoin rally.