Identity makes the world of commerce and payments go ‘round. But its fundamental role in driving modern customer experiences and defending against fraud can often fade to the background. Many companies have treated identity the way they treat insurance policies, office leases, or compliance filings:...
The Federal Reserve’s final Beige Book of the year points to a noticeable cooling in sentiment as businesses and consumers end 2025 on more cautious footing. The report, covering activity through mid-November, shows softening demand, increased price sensitivity and widening signs of strain across lower-...
The latest earnings from Kohl’s, Burlington Stores and Dick’s Sporting Goods, all released Tuesday (Nov. 25), show a consumer who is still spending but doing so in tighter, more income-constrained ways. Management across all three retailers described households stretching paychecks, delaying seasonal purchases and focusing...
American consumer spending is still going strong, at least at some retailers. As The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Sunday (Nov. 23), shoppers continue to flock to where they see value, as shown by strong earnings from the likes of Walmart, Gap and TJX, parent...
Earnings season is offering one of the clearest pictures yet of a consumer base moving in two directions. Households with stable incomes continue spending, especially on essentials and value-driven purchases. Meanwhile, paycheck-to-paycheck consumers, many of whom rely on hourly, gig or mixed-income work, are tightening...
As the annual holiday shopping ritual ramps up, consumers’ finances are less robust than they might appear. Last month, PYMNTS Intelligence surveyed more than 2,100 U.S. adult consumers for the most recent installment of the New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report series, “Income Instability is...
PYMNTS Intelligence has documented that the Labor Economy remains central to U.S. growth, acting as a contributor to GDP, job creation and retail demand. The Labor Economy represents 36% of the workforce and 15% of spending. And while inflation and tariffs continue to test budgets, consumers...
Consumers will be approaching holiday gift-giving with more restraint than last year. According to the latest Holiday Spending Survey from The Conference Board, the average consumer plans to spend about $990 on holiday-related purchases. This figure represents a 6.9% decrease from $1,063 in 2024 and...
The most revealing statistic in The Gen Z Decoder Ring isn’t that Generation Z racks up 425 digital activity days each month, more than double that of baby boomers, but that the number has started to decline. PYMNTS Intelligence finds Gen Z’s daily app use fell 7% between...