Americans cut back on their spending last month as a surge in COVID-19 cases kept people away from storesNEW YORK -- Americans cut back on their spending last month as a surge in COVID-19 cases kept people away from stores. The report offers the first solid glimpse of how the spread of the delta variant of COVID-19 may have changed the spending habits of Americans. According to Tuesday's report, spending fell at stores that sell clothing, furniture and sporting goods. But the Commerce Department reported Tuesday that even online sales have begun to slow, falling 3.1% from the month before. UPS said it's shipping fewer packages in the U.S. And Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, said online sales grew 13% in its most recent quarter, the company’s smallest quarterly online sales growth in two years.

Source: ABC News August 17, 2021 12:45 UTC