美国各地商店担心金融危机让许多可能的顾客不想外出购物，这对取决于消费者支出的经济体系是个令人担忧的迹象。美国主要的零售商星期三公布了他们最近的销售额，其中许多都说9月份的销售额下降或者没有达到预计额度。
世界最大的零售商沃尔马却逆潮流而上，报导销售额上升了百分之二。但是美国经济活动有三分之二是受消费者支出驱动的，有些经济学家说，许多商店可能在11月底到圣诞节期间面临一个生意不佳的节日购物季节，许多零售商就靠这段时间生意兴旺来赢得年度利润的。
与此同时，最近的一份报告说，尽管信贷紧缩，但是更多的美国人在购买住房。美国全国不动产仲介协会说，房屋产权丧失再加上利率低廉促使8月份二手房的销售量增加百分之7，上升到一年多来的最高水平。
Stores across the U.S. fear the financial crisis has many would-be shoppers staying home — a worrisome sign for an economy dependent on consumer spending. Major U.S. retailers released their latest sales data today (Wednesday), with many saying sales fell or failed to meet expectations in September.
The world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, bucked the trend, reporting a more than two-percent increase in sales. Still, two-thirds of U.S. economic activity is driven by consumer spending, and some economists say many stores could be headed for a slow holiday shopping season (between the end of November and Christmas), a time when many retailers depend on strong sales to make a profit for the year.
Meanwhile, a new report says that despite the credit crunch more Americans are buying homes. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) says a combination of foreclosures and affordable interest rates helped push sales of previously-owned homes seven percent higher in August, to the highest level in more than a year.