#consumer-spending

#consumer-spending

After years of wartime splurging, Russian shoppers are tightening their grip on their wallets - a shift that hints at growing stress in the country's economy. Growth in consumer spending has weakened across most regions, the Central Bank of Russia said in a report published Wednesday. In October and November, demand softened even as unemployment remained near historic lows and inflation expectations ticked higher.

The research by the non-profit group Material Focus found about 1.7bn was spent last year on Christmas lighting, including 39m sets of fairy lights. Consumers bought a further 28m light-up items such as garlands, wreaths, stars and snow globes, along with 23m light-up figures and characters and 16m pre-lit Christmas trees.

Deals promoted as some of the best of the holiday season are expected to keep people across the United States glued to their computers and smartphones as the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon wraps up on Cyber Monday.It's no secret that buying things online is now a staple of many people's everyday routines. And year after year, those purchases mount during the gift-giving holiday rush.

Fears over the strength of the UK economy appear to have kept shoppers away from high streets on Black Friday, adding to growing evidence that consumer caution will weigh heavily on growth into 2026. Footfall across all shopping destinations fell by 2% on Friday and was 7.2% lower than the equivalent days last year, according to data from monitoring firm MRI Software. Only locations close to central London offices bucked the trend, seeing a slight lift as workers browsed stores during breaks

The figures suggest that Americans are increasingly wary of high costs and sluggish job gains, with perceptions of the labor market worsening, the survey found. Declining confidence could pose political problems for Trump and Republicans in Congress, as the dimmer views of the economy were seen among all political affiliations and were particularly sharp among independents, the Conference Board said.

On one end of the spectrum are glittering ads featuring the likes of Mariah Carey encouraging shoppers to splurge on beauty and influencers unboxing beauty advent calendars worth thousands of dollars. On the other are brands urging consumers to slow down, buy less or opt out of the frenzy entirely. To large audiences, some of the more ostentatious ads have come across as tone deaf in a season where news has centred around people missing paychecks and food assistance benefits.

The narrative surrounding the "resilient U.S. consumer," which has been a major upside surprise in 2025, is now facing significant headwinds, according to the Global Investment Committee (GIC) at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. While consumer spending has maintained a steady nominal growth rate of 5% to 6%, underpinning a bullish outlook for US equities in 2026, the GIC is expressing caution. Lisa Shalett, chief investment officer and head of the GIC, warned that although the broader macroeconomic picture remains cautiously optimistic, the "K-shaped" economy demands greater scrutiny.

Karen Betts, Chief Executive of the Food & Drink Federation (FDF) said there is a shift in shoppers habits as people are tightening their belts and are not continuing with their normal festive shopping habits. Betts told the i, "I think what we're seeing... is that where people are buying those items now, they tend to be within their same basket spend, so not as an add-on to a basket that they would otherwise have bought."

UK economic growth slowed sharply in the third quarter, rising just 0.1% between July and September, as a steep fall in car production and subdued consumer spending weighed on activity ahead of the Chancellor's Budget later this month. The figure, published by the Office for National Statistics, came in below analysts' expectations of 0.2% and marks a clear slowdown from the 0.3% growth recorded between April and June and the 0.7% expansion at the start of the year.

Research firm Ampere Analysis tracked data from January 2024 to September 2025, looking at 42 re-releases (specifically, 15 remakes and 27 remasters). These releases accumulated 72.4 million players across Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam, with consumers spending $1.4 billion from purchasing these games and related in-game monetisation. Overall, the average remake produced 2.2 times the amount of consumer spending as remasters did during that time frame.

New insights from global data and technology company, Experian, and Reward, global leader in customer engagement and commerce media, show that Black Friday has transformed from a single day into a season-long shopping event, with Brits now favouring experiences, wellbeing, and value-led purchases over traditional retail spending. By analysing year-to-date spending patterns alongside 'Golden Quarter' data from 2024, the research offers valuable insight into how people are likely to approach this year's peak festive shopping season.

For high-income consumers ("the haves"): Strong spending power: Wealthy consumers are buoyed by high asset prices in stocks and real estate. The market melt-up, fueled by investments in areas like artificial intelligence, has increased their net worth. Insulation from interest rates: These individuals are less affected by higher interest rates, allowing them to continue spending on both luxury items and daily goods. Confidence in the economy: Their financial confidence remains strong, leading to continued investment and consumption.

Chinese Communist Party leadership is meeting behind closed doors to draft a five-year plan. China's top leaders are meeting for an important conference that will give a glimpse into the priorities of the world's second-largest economy. The Fourth Plenum of the Communist Party will outline a series of policies for the next five years. Beijing has been making efforts to increase consumer spending and attract foreign investors to drive growth

China's economy is stuck in the doldrums. Youth unemployment is at a two-year high. Housing prices have been falling for more than four years, and many believe they're yet to hit bottom. And Chinese consumers, like 32-year-old Lu Yingcai and 36-year-old Liu Lu, who NPR recently met on the streets of Beijing, are tightening their belts. LU YINGCAI: (Through interpreter) I'm actually traveling less and eating out less often.

Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the BRC, said the looming budget had affected spending alongside milder weather, while growth in the value of food sales was mostly down to rising grocery prices. Rising inflation and a potentially taxing budget are weighing on the minds of many households planning their Christmas spending, she said. The BRC said UK total retail sales increased by 2.3% year on year in September, compared with a growth rate of 3.1% the previous month.

To do so, Modern Retail+ Research surveyed 68 brand and retailer professionals about their past and current use of sales channels during the holidays, their past and current holiday marketing tactics, as well as how their current holiday season discounts and holiday revenue expectations compare to last year's. We also interviewed executives at the Fwrd Group and NEOM Wellbeing to learn about their plans and expectations for the upcoming holiday sales season.

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.

Since the end of the pandemic, consumers have proved to be the backbone for the American economy-much to the surprise of some of Wall Street's biggest names. This underlying strength has pushed the U.S. stock market to record highs this year, with analysts pricing in continued growth of the S&P 500. But the ever-reliable consumer is beginning to look shaky, courtesy of an unpleasant mix of a stagnating jobs market and sticky inflation.

Meanwhile, third-quarter growth is shaping up to be hotter. Durable goods orders for August jumped more than expected, according to data released on Thursday. And the personal income and spending report on Friday showed consumption remained healthy in August while also topping forecasts. Given that consumer spending represents over two-thirds of the U.S. economy, the gains more than offset weakness in housing, which remains buffeted by high home prices and mortgage rates.

The Commerce Department reported Friday that its personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index was up 2.7% in August from a year earlier, a tick higher from a 2.6% year-over-year increase in July and most since February. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core PCE inflation showed a 2.9% increase in prices from August 2024, the same as in July. The increases were what forecasters had expected.