consumer spending

Painted Tree Boutiques' shutdown reveals deeper economic stress on both shoppers and small retailers. Rising costs and cautious consumers are reshaping retail.

Digital reading saves households money but costs publishing jobs. The shift from $15 paperbacks to $3.99 e-books transforms an entire industry.

Major recalls are costing families hundreds while disrupting already tight supply chains. Here's how to protect your budget when products fail.

Americans spend $2.1 billion yearly on unregulated supplements like Foundayo while medical bills pile up. The math doesn't add up for most families.

A Disney vacation now costs more than many monthly paychecks. Here's what soaring theme park prices reveal about America's spending divide.

Dinosaur nugget recalls show how food safety issues compound rising grocery costs. Families face double hits to their wallets.

Morning TV deal segments are booming as households stretch budgets amid persistent inflation. The bargain-hunting craze reveals deeper economic pressures.

Morning TV deals and discount shopping apps are booming as families stretch dollars. The data shows why bargain hunting has become essential.

Oil prices are climbing again, and it's not just your gas tank feeling the pinch. Here's how crude costs ripple through your entire budget.

Strong growth and low unemployment suggest stability — but beneath the headlines, household balance sheets are carrying more strain than the economy can sustain indefinitely.

Early corporate earnings season underscores a widening divide in U.S. consumer spending. Affluent households are splurging on cars, sneakers and everyday luxuries, powering profits at companies like Coca‑Cola, 3M and General Motors, while middle‑ and lower‑income consumers continue to pinch pennies amid high inflation and mortgage rates. With nearly nine in ten reporting S&P 500 firms beating expectations, markets remain buoyant, but the government shutdown’s data blackout and persistent tariff pressures leave policymakers guessing about the broader economy’s health.

The U.S. economy is running on two tracks. While mortgage rates above 6 percent and rising home prices are squeezing families out of ownership, the artificial-intelligence sector continues to expand, fueling job growth and capital investment at the top end of the income scale. The eSNAP dashboard shows a stable headline economy masking deep inequality beneath—one defined by high-tech wealth on one side and housing hardship on the other.