01:57 PM EDT, 03/24/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Consumer stocks were mixed Tuesday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) up 0.5% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) shedding 0.6%.

Redbook US same-store sales were up by 6.7% from a year earlier in the week ended March 21 after a 6.4% year-over-year rise in the previous week.

In corporate news, Estee Lauder ( EL ) shares fell past 10% after it said late Monday it is in discussions with Spanish beauty and fashion group Puig to possibly combine their businesses. The potential merger makes strategic sense, as it could allow the cosmetics company to fill the fragrance gap in its portfolio, RBC said in a note. The potential deal would create a $40 billion luxury beauty company, Reuters reported.

Etsy ( ETSY ) is more exposed to risks from rising oil and gas prices than other online marketplaces, Oppenheimer said in a note. The e-commerce platform's shares dropped past 7%.

United Airlines (UAL) said Tuesday that it plans to add over 250 aircraft over the next two years. Separately, United CEO Scott Kirby said in an interview with Bloomberg TV that ticket prices may have to rise 20% if fuel prices stay at current levels. United shares were down 1.6%.