This Week in Retail: Dollar General and Best Buy earnings and personal spending data

The summer doesn’t officially end until September 22, but Starbucks is getting a jump on autumn with the launch this Tuesday of its fall menu (which, yes, includes the infamous pumpkin spice latte). You may have also noticed skeletons, pumpkins, and other Halloween decorations creeping onto shelves. Who cares if it’s 80 degrees in some places?

Here’s what else is going on in retail this week:

In earnings: More retail earnings are dropping this week, with a strong showing from discounters, big box, and clothing outlets. Dick’s Sporting Goods is releasing its Q2 results on Tuesday. Five Below and Abercrombie & Fitch are releasing on Wednesday, and then it’s discounter Thursday with Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Burlington Stores. Gap and Best Buy are also reporting that day.

In data releases: Personal income and spending data for July is coming out on Wednesday from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The report for June showed income ticking up 0.2% month over month, and personal expenditures increased 0.3%. Broken out by category, clothing and footwear spending was up 6.5%; furnishings and durable household goods were up 4.9%; and food and beverages were up 5.6%.

In promotions: On Friday, JCPenney is offering a novel promotion: Bring in any “retail regret” and trade it in for $15 off a $50 purchase. All items will be donated through Good360, which connects companies with nonprofit partners that distribute the goods to those in need.