A recent Bank of America Institute note spotted a contradiction: While data shows customers increasing spending at restaurants recently, when surveyed, shoppers said they actually cut spending on dining out. They explain this by deal-hunting: Diners still went out, but scaled down the types of restaurants they visited to get more bang for their buck.
Barnes & Noble is experiencing tremendous growth as it opens new stores, having opened 23 bookstores in 2025 alone. The strategy of empowering local booksellers is proving successful.