Back-to-school season boosts demand for US retail, wage growth still outpaces inflation.

Data shows that out of 13 retail categories in the United States, 9 categories saw an increase in sales, with online retailers, clothing stores, and sports equipment stores leading the way. This trend may reflect the back-to-school shopping demand. Although car sales also saw an increase, the growth rate has slowed down. The report released on Tuesday further confirms that despite facing multiple pressures - tariffs raising prices of some goods, low consumer confidence, signs of weakness in the labor market, American consumers continue to spend. Although wage growth has cooled down, the majority of workers' wage increases are still higher than the inflation level; additionally, some people are benefiting from the rise in the stock market. Following the release of the report, U.S. stock futures maintained an upward trend, and U.S. treasury bond yields rose slightly.