Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Burlington Stores, Gap and Best Buy all report quarterly results on Thursday, capping a week that puts discounters and big-box retailers at the center of the retail calendar.

The earnings slate opens Tuesday with Dick's Sporting Goods, which releases its Q2 numbers. Five Below and Abercrombie & Fitch follow on Wednesday, according to Retail Brew's weekly preview. Thursday belongs to the discounters, with Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Burlington Stores all reporting, alongside Gap and Best Buy.

The heavy discounter lineup arrives as value-focused chains continue to draw Wall Street attention for their resilience against uneven consumer spending.

July spending data lands Wednesday

The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes personal income and spending data for July on Wednesday. The June report offers a benchmark for what marketers should watch: income rose 0.2% month over month, and personal expenditures increased 0.3%.

The June category breakdown showed where consumers directed their dollars. Clothing and footwear spending climbed 6.5%. Furnishings and durable household goods rose 4.9%. Food and beverages increased 5.6%.

For marketers targeting back-to-school and early-holiday shoppers, the July figures will signal whether those category gains held into the second half of the summer.

Starbucks goes early on fall

Starbucks launches its fall menu this Tuesday, ahead of the official September 22 end of summer. The menu includes the pumpkin spice latte. Halloween decorations, including skeletons and pumpkins, are already appearing on retail shelves even as temperatures reach 80 degrees in some markets.

The early push reflects how retailers and brands continue to extend the fall and Halloween selling season further ahead of the calendar date.

JCPenney trades "retail regret" for discounts

On Friday, JCPenney runs a novel promotion: shoppers bring in any "retail regret" — an unwanted purchase — and trade it in for $15 off a $50 purchase.

All traded items will be donated through Good360, an organization that connects companies with nonprofit partners that distribute goods to people in need.

The promotion gives JCPenney a traffic-driving hook tied to a charitable donation, a combination trade-in and discount mechanic that other retailers may watch closely heading into the fall shopping season.