For households navigating the persistent gap between stagnant wages and rising costs, the definition of "essential spending" is undergoing a radical shift. Consumer spending remains a vital barometer ...

The Impact of Consumer Spending on Economic Activity . Consuming final goods is the result and motivation for economic ...

Here is an economic portrait of the average American consumer, based on spending habits. The data below provides a reasonably accurate picture of the nation’s amusements and entertainment, its ...

Measures of consumer sentiment have lost their usefulness as indicators of the health of the economy ...

Confidence-spending split: Studies find consumer sentiment surveys no longer reliably predict U.S. spending or inflation, breaking a decades-long correlation. Spending defies pessimism: Despite ...

Millennials are finally seeing wage increases but they’re spending the extra cash on travel, restaurants and other experiences. “We’re naked. We’re not buying clothing and footwear,” said Sarah ...

Higher-income shoppers have kept retail sales healthy, but the economic impact of the war in Iran presents an unknown, according to industry analysts.