The "More for Less: 2026 Wireless Affordability Tracker," found that when adjusted for inflation postpaid unlimited plans are 10% less than last year and almost 35% less than five years ago. The proliferation of plans - the tracker says that it found more than a thousand - has driven prepaid options down more than 50% during the past five years.
Uber, DoorDash, and Instacart largely beat quarterly expectations this week and saw their stocks lift. Despite rising gas prices and consumers trimming their budgets, many people are still spending on ride-hailing and food delivery, according to companies' latest earnings results. "We're definitely seeing that not all consumers are under pressure," said Brian Mulberry, chief market strategist at Zacks Investment Management. "Some are still very high earners and doing very well."
The national average price for regular gasoline now stands at $4.483 per gallon, up from $4.176 just one week ago. In less than two weeks, gas prices have surged 11%, putting them within striking distance of the all-time AAA record of $5.016 set on June 14, 2022.
Indonesia, with the world's largest Muslim population of approximately 229 million, experiences a surge in consumer spending during Ramadan, as many prepare for gifts, travel, and iftar meals.
Flooring Superstore has drafted in Begbies Traynor and the restructuring arm of Santander to weigh its options, with a company voluntary arrangement or full administration both on the table.
'Walmart Worries' just keep multiplying. It's currently close to the highest level ever recorded which was during the Great Financial Crisis of 2008-09.
Americans are feeling this, I don't have to tell you guys. If you have filled up a tank of gas, you are paying 80 to 90 cents more per gallon than before this war began. That's a sharp increase. It's painful. You feel it and it will impact your spending everywhere else. It's an economic hit.
Not that long ago, restaurant chains like Cava, Chipotle and Sweetgreen had lines streaming out of their doors at lunchtime. But last year, traffic and sales at many of them softened considerably, and their stock prices plunged. Still, don't look for this restaurant segment to slash menu prices any time soon. It's simply not part of its DNA, some restaurant analysts say.
We have come into 2026 planning for another challenging year. When you look at consumer confidence and disposable income, you can see that the backdrop is still tough out there. Currie expressed optimism that easing pressures could support consumer spending in 2026, but also recognised that demand remains fragile.
In a world where third spaces are dying, and consumers are being segregated between haves and have-nots at every turn, the airport bar has quietly endured. But the airport bar is not-so-quietly under siege. Airport concessions took a hit during the pandemic, and while they benefited from the subsequent revenge travel, the rebound has stalled.
U.S. economic growth cooled significantly in the fourth quarter of 2025, which the Trump administration attributed to last fall's record-long federal government shutdown and softer consumer spending. Gross domestic product rose at a 1.4 percent seasonally adjusted, inflation-adjusted annual rate in the final three months of last year, the Commerce Department said Friday, well below the 2.5 percent pace expected by economists.
The SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEARCA:XRT) tracks the S&P Retail Select Industry Index with equal-weighted exposure across 73 retail holdings spanning apparel, grocery, discount, and specialty retail. Unlike market-cap weighted funds, XRT's equal-weight structure means smaller retailers carry the same influence as mega-caps like Walmart. XRT has delivered 11.05% returns over the past year, but recent momentum has stalled - the fund is up just 2.47% year-to-date and has pulled back 3.34% over the past month, reflecting growing uncertainty about the consumer spending outlook.
