People walk down Chicago's Michigan Avenue with bags after shopping on the Magnificent Mile Thursday, July 31, 2008. The country got a pickup in the second quarter but didn't get the energetic rebound in economic growth hoped for from the government's tax rebates. Economists were forecasting growth at a 2.4 percent pace. The pickup, while welcome, isn't likely to be seen as a signal that the fragile economy is growing healthier.
A woman carries her bag after shopping on State Street in downtown Chicago on Thursday, July 31, 2008. The country got a pickup in the second quarter but didn't get the energetic rebound in economic growth hoped for from the government's tax rebates. Economists were forecasting growth at a 2.4 percent pace. The pickup, while welcome, isn't likely to be seen as a signal that the fragile economy is growing healthier.
Shoppers walk in front of shoe store at a shopping mall in San Francisco, Thursday, July 31, 2008. The country got a pickup in the second quarter but didn't get the energetic rebound in economic growth hoped for from the government's tax rebates. Economists were forecasting growth at a 2.4 percent pace. The pickup, while welcome, isn't likely to be seen as a signal that the fragile economy is growing healthier.
Shoppers leave a Bloomingdale's store at a shopping mall in San Francisco, Thursday, July 31, 2008. The country got a pickup in the second quarter but didn't get the energetic rebound in economic growth hoped for from the government's tax rebates. Economists were forecasting growth at a 2.4 percent pace. The pickup, while welcome, isn't likely to be seen as a signal that the fragile economy is growing healthier.
Young models wear Wal-Mart's new line of clothing at a fashion show in San Francisco, California, July 19, 2008. Wal-Mart Stores Inc presented a colorful, casual line of youthful looks for kids and teens on Saturday at a fashion show that previewed the mass-market chain's new low-cost offerings for back to school. U.S. parents with school-aged children will spend more on back-to-school merchandise this year, helped by tax rebates, but spending for back-to-college will fall as students struggle with the spike in gas prices, according to a survey released on July 22, 2008.