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State of the US Consumer: September–October 2026

Financial well-being stabilizes as spending intentions recover some ground

By Stephen Rogers
Article
 • 
3-min read
 • 
06 October 2026
 • 
Deloitte Consumer Industry Center

Key insights about US consumers from Deloitte’s ConsumerSignals

Financial well-being stabilizes as spending intentions recover some ground 

  • Financial well-being leveled off at 103.4 in August, standing within a narrow band for a third straight month after stronger swings recorded earlier in 2026 (figure 1).
  • The percentage of respondents expecting higher grocery prices remained at 71%, while the share of those expecting higher gas prices fell by 6 points to 69% (figure 2).
  • Discretionary spending intentions climbed for a second consecutive month, narrowing to their strongest reading since January 2026 (figure 3).
  • Nondiscretionary spending intentions also edged higher, suggesting broader consumer spending intentions across categories (figure 4).

BY

Stephen Rogers

Deloitte United States

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Editorial and production: Arpan Saha and Preetha Devan

Knowledge services: Rishitha Bichapogu

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