Consumer spending makes up two-thirds of U.S. GDP, but the economy cannot rely on wealthy consumers alone. Lower- and middle-income households account for the bulk of total consumption by volume. When ...

Not only low-income shoppers are hunting for deals these days. Better off consumers are also flocking to discount stores to save a few bucks. Since 2021, budget retailers have seen a large influx of ...

Late last year, Academy Sports & Outdoors executives started noticing something unusual. The chain, which tends to draw bargain-hunters looking for everything from bicycles to outdoor grills, was ...

Confidence among consumers fell this month as worries about slowing income gains and the cooling job market clouded their current and future outlook on the economy, The Conference Board said Tuesday.

Retiree Eileen Gowlak, 86, used to buy her clothes from Walmart when the retailer would have a big sale. But those days are over. “I noticed the clothing went up, and they don’t have the sales they ...

Inflation is weighing on US incomes to a degree comparable to the 2008 Great Recession – potentially reducing consumer spending power ahead of the crucial holiday shopping season, according to a ...

Investigation finds Kroger uses customer data to estimate income and target discounts—sometimes inaccurately. Shoppers with lower predicted income or education may receive fewer deals, while personal ...

Despite stock market volatility and tariff uncertainty, the US consumer is still spending. But company commentary in recent earnings reports and Wall Street data points are reasons for concern, ...

McDonald’s is expanding its value meal menu. The reason suggests growing trouble in the economy, analysts say. In an interview Tuesday on CNBC, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said the move was in ...

BOSTON, Nov. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Prospects for the US consumer are darkening as mounting signs of financial and economic stress for lower-income Americans intensify risks of a downturn ahead for ...