2026 Mid-Year Consumer Spending: Inflation Driving Fewer Purchases, Higher Value Orders

US consumers are spending more money than they did in 2025, but not in the way retailers expected. They’re making significantly fewer purchases and doing far more research before committing to purchases. The shift reflects inflation-driven price pressures – but pricing alone doesn’t explain it. Online prices rose just 2%-3% over the same period according […]

Last updated Aug 20, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment