consumer spending

What companies say about future pricing can tell us how much consumers can really afford.

According to NielsenIQ, sales of alcoholic beverages fell 5.4% in April compared to the same month last year. The decline is most pronounced at convenience stores.

Kai Ryssdal breaks down why final sales to private domestic purchasers — a mouthful, yes — is a better read on where the economy is headed.

GDP rose at an annual rate of 2% from January to March, according to data out today from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. A big reason why: investment in AI.

The maker of Pampers, Dawn, and other consumer staples reported a 7% net sales increase over last year. That’s not just because of higher prices — consumers also bought more of their products.

Retail spending rose by 1.7% from February to March. Experts said people are spending their tax refunds and increasingly turning to credit — even for groceries.

Economists warn that as tax refund season ends and the war in Iran pushes prices higher across more categories, the long-running disconnect between how consumers feel and how they spend may finally start to close.

“The only thing certain is uncertainty,” said Brian Duncan, an Illinois hog and soybean farmer.

The word “resilient” came up in multiple earnings calls this week.

The New York Fed’s survey shows people expect inflation to hit 3.4% in a year. That’s up from an expectation of 3% in February, before the war in the Middle East started.