Consumer Trends

Halloween candy display in retail store featuring Reese's, Kit Kat, and Hershey's products with orange and purple promotional signage.
Consumer Trends
Halloween Candy Sales Off to Slow Start Amid High Chocolate Prices, Affordability Concerns
High living costs and scary chocolate prices dampen demand for sweet Halloween treats.
Featured
Man drinking from a Pepsi bottle against a cloudy sky with Manufacturing Now branding
Consumer Trends
PepsiCo Shuts Down Tennessee Bottling Plant
The company said that it was closing the Knoxville facility “immediately.”
October 21, 2026
A Coco Delivery Robot in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, April 22, 2026.
Consumer Trends
Delivery Robots Accused of Scanning Customers’ Faces, Sharing Biometric Data
The battle over Chicago’s food delivery robots has reached the courts.
October 20, 2026
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Consumer Trends
In an Era of Elevated Grocery Prices, Why Is ‘Misfit’ Food Still Overlooked?
A whole retail sector is now dedicated to marketing "ugly produce" and other misfit products.
October 13, 2026
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Consumer Trends
Greek Yogurt Bar Maker Acquired by Private Equity Firm
Clio Snacks says it has quadrupled its revenue over the past five years.
October 12, 2026
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Consumer Trends
PepsiCo to Raise Prices on Doritos, SunChips, Soda
The company said the hikes would recoup rising fuel, aluminum and agricultural commodity costs.
October 9, 2026
Top Headlines
Children ride their bicycles to the Dollar General store, Aug. 21, 2025, Nashua, N.H.
Dollar General Sued by the FTC, 20 States Over Deceptive Pricing
October 27, 2026
Nuria Isanda, 75, third from left, teaches tourists how to prepare and present traditional Spanish dishes during a cooking workshop at Grandmas Cooking in Barcelona, Oct. 14, 2026.
Barcelona 'Grandmas' Dish Out Cooking Wisdom
October 21, 2026
An electronic price tag at a Kroger store in Monroe, Ohio, Nov. 13, 2024.
Consumer Apprehension Grows as Retailers Adopt AI Pricing Tools
October 19, 2026
Gas prices are shown at a station in Chicago, Oct. 14, 2026.
Retail Price Impacts From Iran War Are Uneven — but Add Up for Households
October 19, 2026
A shopper looks the meat section of a grocery story in Fort Worth, Texas, Oct. 7, 2026.
U.S. Consumers Are Muscling Through Higher Prices, but for How Long?
October 16, 2026
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Retail Sales Up a Better-than-Expected 0.8% in September
October 15, 2026
A woman pushes a shopping cart as she leaves a grocery store in Arlington Heights, Ill., Sept. 30, 2026.
Inflation Worsened to 3.7% in September
October 14, 2026
Luke Churchill, left, stands with his wife Mary and their children Katie, Liam and Raighan outside a Waffle House restaurant in Wilmington, N.C., Sept. 16, 2018.
The Waffle House Index Helps Southerners — and FEMA — Gauge a Storm's Severity
October 9, 2026
Plastic bottles of Pepsi at a grocery store in New York, Nov. 15, 2023.
PepsiCo Posts Strong Revenue Total Despite Lackluster North American Demand
October 8, 2026
McDonald's signs in Los Angeles, March 31, 2026.
McDonald's Sued Over AI Pricing Tool
October 7, 2026
A SNAP EBT sign at a gas station in Riverwoods, Ill., Nov. 1, 2025.
Fewer Americans Are Getting Help Buying Groceries From SNAP
October 7, 2026
Worker holding tray of pink gummy candies in commercial kitchen with shelving and inventory
$28 Billion Hemp THC Industry Fights to Survive Looming Federal Ban
October 5, 2026
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October 1, 2026
The Alpaca Cafe, Stajicevo, Serbia, Sept. 30, 2026.
Consumer Trends
Not Your Everyday Coffee in a Serbia Cafe; Enjoy It in the Company of Alpacas
The South American animals roam among the tables, happy to interact with guests.
October 1, 2026
A woman walks by a 'Buy now pay later' sign at a store in Bangalore, India, Sept. 10, 2009.
Consumer Trends
Americans Are Using Buy Now, Pay Later More than Ever
And experts are increasingly seeing people use it for groceries, bills and other everyday expenses.
October 1, 2026
People shop at the Apple store on Fifth Avenue on the day of Apple's launch of the iPhone 18 Pro, Sept. 18, 2026, New York.
Consumer Trends
Inflation Cooled Slightly Last Month Even as Consumers Stepped Up Spending
Still, it doesn't appear to be moving back toward the Fed's 2% target anytime soon.
September 30, 2026
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Consumer Trends
Walmart Says It's Not Using Personal Information to Set Prices as It Expands Digital Shelf Labels
The retail giant is aiming to assuage customers' fears about its new pricing technology.
September 28, 2026
People line up to enter a McDonald's restaurant in Beijing, Aug. 20, 2025.
Consumer Trends
McDonald’s Bets $8.5B on Sweeping Makeover, Protein-Focused Menu
The burger chain plans to experiment with products like egg bites and bowls.
September 24, 2026
Coastal terrace with striped beach chair, Playdate rosé wine bottle and glass on wooden table overlooking ocean
Consumer Trends
Two Cannabis Industry Veterans Are Betting on Non-alcoholic, THC Wine
They're up against a looming federal ban and NA wine's reputation.
September 22, 2026
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Consumer Trends
Ferrero Restores Wonka Candy Brand
The brand had been on hiatus for over eight years.
September 23, 2026
Austan Goolsbee, left, then-Council of Economic Advisers Chairman under President Barack Obama, testifies on Capitol Hill, Feb. 28, 2013.
Consumer Trends
Federal Reserve Official Says Fighting Inflation Likely to Be 'Painful'
Faced with an ongoing series of persistent supply shocks, he said, the Fed now has little choice.
September 21, 2026
A customer holds an ice cream cone outside of a Mixue store, Sept. 16, 2026, Sunnyvale, Calif.
Consumer Trends
Fast Food From the U.S. and China Catches on in Both Countries
Bilateral trade in burgers and bubble tea has become business- and consumer-led gastrodiplomacy.
September 21, 2026
A cook prepares 'completos' at a restaurant in Santiago, Chile, Sept. 14, 2026.
Consumer Trends
In Chile, Even Beloved Hot Dogs Feel the Economic Squeeze
For decades, the "completo" has been an affordable lunch enjoyed across social classes.
September 21, 2026
A Costco Warehouse in Pittsburgh, June 15, 2026.
Consumer Trends
DoorDash, Uber Eats to Offer Delivery from Costco Stores
The delivery apps have been expanding their U.S. grocery offerings in recent years.
September 17, 2026
Shoppers browse the produce section at a Target store, Aug. 13, 2026, Woodbury, Minn.
Consumer Trends
Retail Sales Rise a Better-than-Expected 1.2%
The roar back in spending is happening even as consumer confidence took another hit.
September 16, 2026
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Consumer Trends
First-ever 'Healthy Checkout' Policy Shows Promise
But researchers say greater enforcement is needed for a meaningful benefit to public health.
September 11, 2026
Girl Scouts of the USA's 'Patch Pals' cookies for dogs, Aug. 19, 2026.
Consumer Trends
Girl Scouts to Begin Selling Cookies for Dogs
The blueberry muffin-flavored cookies were developed with dog treat and toy seller Bark.
September 10, 2026