RESTON, Va. — U.S. shoppers aren’t yet making major cutbacks in response to tariffs, but Resonate’s latest Consumer Trends Report suggests that spending behaviors could shift quickly if economic conditions worsen.
According to the AI-powered consumer intelligence firm, 62% of consumers rarely or never encounter products that are unavailable due to tariffs, and nearly half (49%) are spending the same amount as they did six months ago. Thirty percent report making no changes to offset higher prices, while 47% say they aren’t delaying or canceling financial decisions.
If budgets tighten, however, consumers plan to target non-essential spending first:
- 37% would stop dining out or ordering takeout
- 26% would cut vacation and travel spending
- 24% would reduce or eliminate luxury purchases
- 24% would halt entertainment and event spending
The report also highlights a decline in personal finance confidence. While economic worry is down 19% since March, 23% expect to be worse off financially within six months. With 70% of consumers carrying debt, and 16% struggling to meet payments, 34% say they are saving less.
Travel plans are shifting toward thriftier options. Over half (55%) of consumers won’t travel this holiday season, and among those who do, 32% plan to spend under $2,000, with more opting for shorter, domestic, or budget trips.
Holiday spending is also set to soften: 38% more consumers are opting out of gift buying compared to two years ago, and 25% plan to shop only during major sales events.
“Americans aren't pulling back yet, but tariffs have the potential to cause consumer behaviors to shift overnight,” said Bryan Gernert, CEO of Resonate. “The brands that win won't just be focused on cutting costs — they'll drive growth by understanding why people buy and acting on it in real time, keeping customers loyal even in uncertain times.”
Access the full report HERE.
About the Resonate Consumer Trends Report
The Resonate Consumer Trends Report is a bi-monthly report offering current sentiment shifts on key issues impacting American consumers. This analysis is powered by Resonate's proprietary system of AI-powered models known as rAI. rAI employs advanced AI algorithms to identify patterns and uncover correlations from a variety of sources, including the observation of 30B daily online behaviors, data from the US Consumer Study, and offline consumer data. This analysis allows Resonate to develop a deep understanding of consumer and voter values, preferences, motivations, and intent spanning 15,000+ attributes across 250 million US adults.
