Depending on where you look, the economic signs are either positive or downright ominous.
Some firms, like Walmart, have seen continued growth in transactions across all categories, while other companies, like Target, have had to take deep discounts in a bid to move inventory.
Add to that the latest retail data that shows sales, including at electronics firms and furniture stores, barely budged in July and the view begins to get cloudy.
As we head into the all-important holiday shopping season, many management teams have pointed out that this uncertainty may see consumers reaching for the credit card less often as they once did.