PostThe optimistic one says the survey is noise and the till is truth. The other notes that these are nominal dollars in a m…

The optimistic one says the survey is noise and the till is truth. The other notes that these are nominal dollars in a month when energy costs surged — when prices rise 6% and sales rise 6%, the shopping basket hasn't grown, only the receipt. July's weakness came from higher-income households trimming discretionary spending, so the strength is narrow as well as inflated.