The ripple effects of the stimulus checks have ceased and retail sales have declined, meeting economists’ expectations that this was bound to happen, CNNMoney.com reported.

“The consumer is running out of steam,” wrote Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist for Global Insight, in a MarketWatch report.

U.S. retail sales fell 0.1 percent in July, the Commerce Department estimated Wednesday. Retail sales, which account for about one-third of gross domestic product, were estimated at $384.6 billion in July, matching the economists’ forecast.

It appears that poor automobile sales are pulling the numbers down the most. During the past year, auto sales have dropped by 10.5 percent, and were down 2.4 percent just in July – the largest decline in any retail category.

When auto sales are excluded, spending rose 0.4 percent.

Prices at the pump have taken a large portion of consumers’ money and put it into their gas tanks. Sales at gasoline stations were up 0.8 percent in June, and during the last year that figure has increased nearly 25 percent.

Nonstore retailers such as vending machines and store catalogs posted the fastest growth in sales at 1.1 percent.

Meanwhile, sporting goods stores and food services posted a sales decline of 0.2 percent.