Retail sales fell 0.6 percent in July against an expected 0.1 percent gain, marking the weakest performance in more than a year according to Axios reporting. Category-level drops occurred in autos, gasoline, electronics, and online retail, while the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index dropped to 51 from 55.2 in July. Analysts link the results to earlier Prime Day timing, World Cup scheduling, and persistent inflation expectations of 4.3 percent over the next year.