Consumer Sentiment news and trends

University of Michigan Says Trade Disputes and High Prices Squeeze Consumer Sentiment
Economy // September 28, 2026

Consumer sentiment slipped in September amid concerns about high prices and rekindled trade disputes, according to the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers. The survey’s final results for September showed that the Index for Consumer Sentiment declined by 7% compared to a month ago and...

Retail Earnings Will Show What Stretched Consumers Protect
Retail // August 17, 2026

America’s biggest retailers are about to turn a weak government sales report into a six-company test of consumer endurance. U.S. retail and food service sales fell 0.6% in July, the first monthly decline since October and the largest in 14 months. The drop surprised economists...

Consumer Expectations for Economy Jump 4.1 Points as Personal Finance Optimism Lags
Economy // August 07, 2026

The economy is beginning to inspire confidence again, but Americans are not convinced that confidence will arrive in their own wallets anytime soon. That disconnect sits at the center of a PYMNTS Intelligence report, “The Confidence Divide: Why Americans Trust the Economy More Than Their...

Grocery Bills Drag Down Consumer Confidence in July
Consumer Insights // July 28, 2026

Concerns about the price of food and groceries contributed to a decline in consumer confidence in July, according to The Conference Board. The organization’s Consumer Confidence Index decreased by 1.4 points to 90.8 this month, down from an upwardly revised 92.2 in June, according to a Tuesday...

Interviews & Exclusives
Retail Earnings Will Show What Stretched Consumers Protect

August 17, 2026
America’s biggest retailers are about to turn a weak government sales report into a six-company test of consumer endurance. U.S. retail and food service sales fell 0.6% in July, the first monthly decline since October and the largest in 14 months. The drop surprised economists who expected a 0.1% increase. Sales still rose 5% from […]

Consumer Expectations for Economy Jump 4.1 Points as Personal Finance Optimism Lags

August 07, 2026
The economy is beginning to inspire confidence again, but Americans are not convinced that confidence will arrive in their own wallets anytime soon. That disconnect sits at the center of...

Consumers Pass the Debt Test but Fail the Savings Test

March 24, 2026
Household finances are showing resilience on the surface, but the underlying sentiment points to a more constrained consumer. The PYMNTS Consumer Expectations Index measures whether households believe they have the...

Most Consumers Worry About Finances as Inflation Expectations Worsen

September 08, 2025
Consumers are girding for higher inflation over the short term and long term, while sentiment is souring on job prospects for the next few months. The August 2025 Survey of...

Quick Reads
Affordability Drags Consumer Sentiment Down 10% in a Year

October 25, 2026
October’s consumer sentiment reading has essentially kept pace with September, though consumers’ long-term views are less optimistic. Data from the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers released Friday (Oct. 23) showed October’s reading at a revised 48.0, up from an initial 46.3 and in keeping with the 48.1 recorded in September. Although year-ahead business conditions […]

University of Michigan Says Trade Disputes and High Prices Squeeze Consumer Sentiment

September 28, 2026
Consumer sentiment slipped in September amid concerns about high prices and rekindled trade disputes, according to the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers. The survey’s final results for September showed...

Grocery Bills Drag Down Consumer Confidence in July

July 28, 2026
Concerns about the price of food and groceries contributed to a decline in consumer confidence in July, according to The Conference Board. The organization’s Consumer Confidence Index decreased by 1.4 points to...

Easing Gas Prices Lift Consumer Sentiment From All-Time Low

June 12, 2026
Consumer sentiment has ticked up as gas prices eased, according to preliminary results for June from the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers. The report’s Index of Consumer Sentiment improved...