consumer spending

“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.

Retail sales rose 0.6% last month. But the data predates the war in Iran, and experts say the real test for consumer spending is still coming.

A century ago, Americans spent nearly half of their income on food. Today, that figure is closer to one-tenth. Bryan Walsh at Vox talks about how we got here.

Quarterly reports from Best Buy, Target, Costco, Kroger, and others will provide a glimpse into consumer spending.

Economists say numbers that will be released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on unemployment and wage growth will help them get a sense of consumer’s spending power going forward.

“[Consumers are] feeling full, they’re feeling poor, they’ve really just been depleted,” said one retail expert.

Gaming’s not just for kids anymore. The majority of Baby Boomers play video games every week, too, and Candy Crushing grandparents also contribute to the $60 billion-plus industry.

Kate Krader, Food Editor at Bloomberg, talks about the hottest new trend in dining: downsizing.