Post by Worldline

Consumer spending doesn't disappear when confidence is low. It shifts. Here's what most businesses miss right now: people aren't spending less. They're splitting their wallet between smart buys and feel-good purchases. But in the same economy, with the same consumer confidence levels, some merchants are thriving while others are struggling. Same customers. Same conditions. Completely different results at the point of sale. We dug into the data. What we found: → Consumer confidence is cautious but stable, not collapsed. (Deloitte Financial Well-Being Index) → What people say they'll spend is a poor predictor of what they actually spend (McKinsey) → Spending splits toward two poles: ▪ Value-for-money: "I need this, but I want to feel smart about buying it". ▪ Treats and splurges: "I deserve this, it brings me joy". → Merchants stuck in the middle, offering neither clear savings nor emotional reward, lose wallet share. The Worldline Discovery Hub developed a practical model based on this data and explored what it means for how merchants position their checkout experience. Link in the comments 👇