INSIGHTS Retail Sales Rose in August, Highlighting an Inconsistency of Consumer Spending By Staff Monday, September 20, 2021 12:04 AM "Households are sitting on a lot of cash. We expect to see a robust holiday spending season."Beth Ann Bovino, U.S. chief economist at S&P Global, commenting late last week in The New York Times’ report, “Retail Sales Rose in August, Highlighting an Inconsistency of Consumer Spending.” The retail gains in August, which were better than expected, were led by a rise in spending on clothing, electronics, and furniture and home goods, according to the NY Times report.