June 7 Reuters Investors are scouring U.S. credit card spending patterns to size up which, if any, trends could give specialty retailers a boost in the summer months.

Recent quarterly results from retailers show shoppers are selectively buying nonessential, nicetohave products forgoing electronics, but not being shy about plunking down cash on those widelegged jeans they39;ve been coveting.

That39;s been good for sales of invogue products such as Birkenstock39;s shoes, Abercrombie and Fitch39;s jeans and Vuori39;s athleisure clothing and less so for products from Home Depot and Best Buy.

Consumers are being choosier about where and when they spend. They are seemingly willing to splurge on items that are not inexpensive, be it a pair of Hokas or Birkenstocks, said research firm Emarketer analyst Zak Stambor.

Demand for ontrend products boosted sales growth in clothing by 3.2, sports goods by 1.9 and footwear by 0.4 in the first quarter of 2024, compared to a year earlier, according to market research firm GlobalData.

But bigticket items, particularly related to living spaces, fell off consumers39; shopping lists. Sales of electronics fell 1.9 for the quarter, while homeware purchases dropped 4.2 during the first quarter, versus the year earlier period.

Outdoor grills, patio sets …televisions, couches, beds, it39;s all been a bit challenging as of late, Telsey Advisory Group analyst Joseph Feldman said. There was a pullforward of demand during the pandemic and…