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People are ready to spend money on experiences again

Mar 29, 2021
There is a lot of pent-up demand for experiences after a year of isolation.
An employee arranges merchandise at a store in the Downtown Disney District shopping area outside of Disneyland last summer. Disney California Adventure Park partially reopened for a ticketed shopping and dining event.
Derek Lee/Disneyland Resort via Getty Images

How recipients will spend COVID relief payments depends on their income

Mar 26, 2021
The worst off are likely to use them to fend off economic disaster. The best off may well splurge.
Middle-income households may increase their spending a bit, and pay down debt. But Camilla Yanushevsky at CFRA Research said some of them may hold back, because they’re worried.
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Companies see an opportunity with more relief money headed to consumers

Mar 17, 2021
Deals and other offers are likely to appear online, where people have already been shopping during the pandemic.
Consumers are likely to spend this latest round of relief payments quickly, said Matt Kleinschmit, CEO of the market research consultancy Reach3 Insights.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

What's "normal"? Unilever decides to stop using the word.

Mar 9, 2021
The consumer-products giant will no longer use the term to describe skin or hair care brands such as Dove, Axe and Vaseline.
Black and brown women have often been told that their hair and skin are not "normal." Will Unilever's eliminating the term make a difference?
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We're buying a lot more stuff these days

Feb 26, 2021
Money can’t buy happiness, but that’s never stopped anyone from trying.
Spending on goods has gone up during the pandemic, but you can get your kids only so many trampolines.
Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Why credit card limits could rise this year

Feb 26, 2021
Lenders aren't quite as nervous about consumer finances anymore, and they're anticipating a boom in consumer spending.
Credit card companies hope that increased credit limits will create more outstanding balances, meaning more revenue for them.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Running a mall is "still a struggle" nearly a year into the pandemic

Feb 26, 2021
When a customer refuses to wear a mask inside the Butte Plaza Mall, manager Alana Ferko gets called in to help.
Gil Cohen-Magen/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Grocery shoppers are faster and more focused during the pandemic

Jan 5, 2021
Stores and manufacturers are slimming down product selection in response to shopper behavior.
Grocery shopping has become a get-in, get-out mission during COVID-19.
Karen Ducey/Getty Images

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.
Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

Consumer spending and personal income fell. That's bad news for the economy

Dec 23, 2020
With stimulus checks long gone and unemployment benefits running out, many consumers are less willing to spend.
Shoppers wearing protective masks are seen at Hudson Yards on Nov. 27, 2020, in New York.
Jeenah Moon/Getty Images