Inflation sure hasn’t stopped consumer spending

The Commerce Department released figures on October retail spending today, and ka-ching! Retail sales jumped 1.7% from September, but inflation accounted for about half of that gain. Still, spending was up for electronics, groceries and gas as consumers tried to get a jump on holiday shopping. Later in the show: China has a long way to go in fulfilling U.S. purchasing agreements; workers are returning to offices, but not necessarily in downtown settings; and what the study of wait lines can teach us about supply chain issues.