#consumer-spending

#consumer-spending

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.

The hospitality and travel sectors are pivoting to treat the high-spending consumer as the only guest who matters, reflecting a K-shaped economy narrative.

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.

7-Eleven's North American operator plans to close 645 stores in the 2026 fiscal year, outpacing the 205 locations it forecasts it will open during that same time.

'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.

"We continue to see extraordinary demand for travel and experiences," Capuano told Yahoo! Finance. "It feels like a fundamentally permanent shift that consumers are prioritizing spending on travel and experiences versus purchase of hard goods." The hotel chain expects earnings growth in 2026, with revenue driven by adding rooms to its portfolio and higher co-branded credit card fees. While U.S. business was slightly weaker in the fourth quarter due to the government shutdown, Capuano says the fundamentals remain strong.

As we settle into 2026, London's economic landscape suggests a definitive answer. The city is witnessing a profound transformation in how services are consumed, driven by a population that has become increasingly comfortable with a digital-first existence. From financial management to high-end entertainment, the demand for seamless, instant, and secure online services has reached unprecedented levels, reshaping the commercial priorities of businesses across Greater London.

"For you to have money, you have to learn to live below your means but within your needs. How do you do that? You do that by simply purchasing needs versus wants. What is a need? Need is food that you buy at a grocery store. What is a want? A want is going out to eat at a restaurant and doing it over and over again."

As economist Dean Baker explains for the Center for Economic Policy and Research, for AI companies' current valuations to make sense, they'd need profit growth over the next five years that requires one of two things: either AI starts bringing in cash by the truckload, or profits for all the other corporations in America collapse. Both prospects seem extremely unlikely, yet the AI investments keep coming - and they seem to be dragging American workers into an economy their wages can't support.