Consumers don’t feel great, but they’re still spending: Retail sales blew past expectations in June despite subdued confidence among lower-income households.

Community banks and credit unions were marked safe from the recent US regional bank collapses. But they’re still contending with unprecedented interest rates, an aging customer base, and disappointing core banking technology.

Two-thirds (66%) of US adults have used a credit card within the last 12 months, the most popular method of credit usage, according to an April 2024 survey from NerdWallet conducted by The Harris Poll.

Consumers spend cautiously as inflation perceptions, higher debt payments hurt confidence: But we expect retail sales growth to be healthy as buying power recovers.

Supply chain headaches mount for retailers: Disruptions in the Red Sea are driving up shipping rates and creating backups at key ports.

US retail sales soar past our prepandemic forecast: 2024 sales will be 18% higher than we thought in February 2020 as consumers’ resilience shows no signs of slowing.

Brazil is Latin America’s largest retail ecommerce market by total sales volume and will be this year’s third-fastest-growing digital economy worldwide. Understanding the nuances of how and where Brazil’s diverse consumer base spends its money online is key for brands and retailers to thrive in this highly competitive ecommerce market.

“The restaurant industry is still reeling from the impact of the pandemic,” our content director Becky Schilling said on an episode of “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast. On top of that, inflation and economic uncertainty has made for a tough four years. In face of these persisting challenges, restaurants are turning to AI and unified commerce solutions to improve the customer experience, build loyalty, and supercharge personalization.

“We've seen tremendous resilience from the consumer and that's driving a lot of success for retailers in the brick and mortar space,” said Ethan Chernofsky, senior vice president of marketing at Placer.ai, during our virtual summit. Despite rising inflation and pullbacks on discretionary spending, consumers are still eager to treat themselves and participate in unique retail experiences. We break down three trends influencing shopping behavior for the rest of the year, each paired with a retail opportunity.

Inflation is on the rise and the competition for consumer dollars is heating up between restaurants and retailers. Here are five insights into how consumers are purchasing their food as prices continue to rise.

The personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE) rose again in March, increasing 2.7% YoY (including food and energy), according to the US Commerce Department. Because rising prices mean consumers are likely to remain cautious with how they’re spending their money, retailers like Michaels and Giant Food are cutting prices across their stores to help maintain or grow sales.

Restaurants are investing in AI and unified commerce to enhance personalization and the customer experience.

Retailers with roots in China are still gaining share of ecommerce in Western Europe, despite concerns over their sustainability credentials.

Nearly a third (32%) of US consumers decreased online spending in Q1 2024, according to Jungle Scout’s latest Consumer Trends Report. Here are five insights into how and where consumers shopped over the first quarter of 2024.

But the data suggests a full credit card recovery will likely take longer than expected

Gen Zers and young millennials are the most likely to splurge on beauty in 2024—but their path to purchase is anything but straightforward.

Growth has slowed, but bright spots remain in key categories.

Knowing how price-sensitive consumers are at this moment, brands need to be extra cautious how they position themselves and their messaging. Otherwise, they could risk angering or alienating consumers, as evidenced by the reaction to recent comments from executives at the WK Kellogg Co and Wendy’s.

Digital grocery sales are growing again across Western Europe as inflation forces higher spending, click and collect gains momentum, and mobile loyalty schemes come to the fore. ​

Last December, TikTok user Lukas Battle posted a video proclaiming that 2024 is all about loud budgeting, which encourages consumers to open up about how they spend their money and take pride in saying no to unnecessary purchases.