This Week in Retail: September retail sales and inflation data

It’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and it’s business as usual for major retailers. However, banks, government offices, and the US Postal Service are closing in observance of the federal holiday.

Here’s what’s happening in retail this week: 

In conferences: Software firm Contentsquare is hosting its CX Circle event on Tuesday, bringing together 1,500 e-commerce and digital leaders to share ideas and talk about new trends. On the agenda: Feliz Papich, SVP of digital technology, experience, and insights at Crocs, will talk about how the company uses data to drive meaningful improvements. Sol Rashidi, formerly of Amazon, will explore how to move beyond experimentation to full-scale AI implementation, and Vince Koh, global head of digital commerce at Amazon Web Services, will make the case for why AI shopping assistants are becoming a necessity.

The next day, the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) is hosting its annual conference for chief legal officers, general counsel, and law firm partners. The event will address legal and regulatory challenges facing the industry, offering “practical insights on litigation trends, compliance, privacy, employment, and emerging risks.”

In data releases: The Census Bureau is scheduled to release its September retail sales numbers on Thursday, the last measure before the extended holiday season. In August, retail sales increased 1.2% from the month before and 6% from the year before. The numbers marked a rebound from July, when the measure declined for the first time in nine months in what some experts saw as a sign of fatigue on the part of US consumers. Amazon notably had moved its summer Prime Day sale back from July to June, taking away a major source of sales.

As for the upcoming report, it covers a relatively quiet month for retail—before the big fall sales—and some economists expect only a modest increase.

In other date releases, the latest consumer price index is due out Wednesday. The report will be closely watched, as the US economy continues to see rising diesel prices, which some experts anticipate putting a damper on consumer spending.