Upside released “The Income Divide” April 13, a new report examining how a widening gap in consumer behavior is reshaping retail demand.
The findings, drawn from more than 10 billion transactions and surveys of 3,500-plus consumers, reveal that high- and low-income consumers are making fundamentally different decisions about where and how much to spend.
Report findings
Consumer behavior splits sharply at $75,000 in household income, according to the report.
Above that threshold, consumers report increased spending and growing confidence in their financial outlook. Below it, consumers are pulling back — and the gap shows no sign of closing.
Lower-income consumers are cutting essentials, not just discretionary spending.
Groceries and fuel — categories most Americans consider non-negotiable — are among the areas where lower-income consumers report reducing trips and spending less. The financial pressure on this group is more acute than topline metrics suggest.
Higher-income consumers are the most active loyalty program participants.
Consumers earning $150,000 or more hold an average of 3.7 fuel loyalty memberships — nearly double those earning $50,000 to $74,999. The group is actively seeking value, even as they spend more.
Mass promotions risk missing both groups
Blanket offers to higher-income consumers give away margin on transactions that would have happened anyway. Insufficient offers to lower-income consumers mean fewer trips.
The report finds that the same strategy can underperform with both populations simultaneously.
Thomas Weinandy, Upside’s principal research economist, said the divergence creates a difficult environment for retailers attempting to serve a broad customer base.
“Right now you can ask two people how the economy is doing and you’ll hear three different answers,” Weinandy said. “The income divide means households are experiencing widely different realities while looking at the same thing. This becomes a challenge for retailers on how to provide the most value for consumers with such disparate behavior.”
As the divide widens, retailers face a choice about how to allocate their promotional spend — and who they’re actually trying to reach.
The full report includes a detailed breakdown of how each consumer group makes purchase decisions by category, and what retailers can do to influence both.
About Upside
Upside is a technology company that helps millions of people get more purchasing power on the things they need, and tens of thousands of businesses earn measurable profit.
The company’s platform uses personalized, performance-based promotions to bring customers more value while ensuring businesses earn more profit, with no changes to their operations.
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