After a boost from an earlier Prime Day in June and competing events from other retailers, spending has flattened, and shoppers are focusing on need-based purchases and careful price shopping, according to several mid-season surveys. The National Retail Federation found that, as of early August, shoppers had still purchased only an average of 44% of their planned items, up from 23% in early July. Inflation is taking a toll, as Circana data for the 9 weeks ending Aug. 1 found that BTS category spending registered flat in dollars compared to the ... Log in to view full article.