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Will the relief package boost consumer spending in 2021?

Dec 31, 2020
Ultimately, this money is a bridge until the virus is under control.
Women carry shopping bags while walking in Georgetown on Dec. 23, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
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Consumer confidence lackluster as the pandemic continues

Dec 23, 2020
Even with the rollout of vaccinations and federal action on a relief package, many consumers are wary about the future.
Even with positive news about vaccinations, most of the news about the economy and COVID-spread has been downbeat lately.
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Growth in retail sales is slowing. That's a bad sign for the economy

Nov 17, 2020
As goes the U.S. consumer, so goes the U.S. economy.
Shoppers walk in South Coast Plaza in August in Costa Mesa, California. Smaller retailers are having a harder time transitioning to online sales and adjusting to COVID-19 restrictions.
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Older consumers may be less inclined to go out and spend as the pandemic continues

Oct 28, 2020
Though rising stock and home values have helped older workers and retirees, they have less time to make up for financial losses.
Older Americans are also more leery of going out in the pandemic to shop at the mall, go to the gym or take a trip, according to data from research firm Morning Consult.
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Virus fatigue is changing people's risk tolerance

Oct 26, 2020
New COVID-19 cases are on the rise, but so is people's willingness to go out.
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As reopening falters, consumer confidence falls

Aug 25, 2020
The pandemic isn't abating and consumers are wary of the future, economists at The Conference Board say.
Customers walk past closed stores at a mall in Franklin, Tennessee. Consumer confidence has fallen yet again.
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Would a resurgence of COVID-19 hurt the economy?

Jun 18, 2020
Consumer confidence, while increasing overall, is stagnating in regions where there have been recent spikes in the disease.
Florida is among the handful of states that have just reported record-high weekly case numbers.
Eva Marie Uzcategui/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Early signs of an improving economy, but consumers haven't opened their wallets

May 29, 2020
With unemployment so high and concerns about the coronavirus spread, we likely won't see a rebound in consumer spending anytime soon.
Anxiety about personal finances is still sky-high.
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When will consumers start feeling better about the future?

May 25, 2020
As states relax lockdown rules, consumers may start to feel better about the current situation. The future might take longer.
A reopened Indiana barber shop in mid-May. Consumer confidence may be improving as people begin to return to their usual activities.
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Consumer confidence dips with spread of COVID-19

Mar 27, 2020
As people see workplaces close, big layoffs and stock market uncertainty, they fear for their financial security.
Confidence is likely to get a lot worse, and could reach levels last seen in the Great Recession.
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