Tracking General Merchandise Demand & Consumer Behavior with Transaction Data
General Merchandise spending accelerated modestly in 2024, driven by an increase in transactions, not ticket. However, elevated inflation and rising economic uncertainty continue to impact consumer confidence, which is beginning to manifest in early 2025 spending trends. While spending broadly decelerated so far, certain retailers are setting themselves apart, even as Chinese online retailers remain a competitive concern. Using Earnest’s Vela Gamma dataset, this report explores:
- How did General Merchandise spending share shift in 2024?
- How are General Merchandise retailers performing in 2025?
- What retailers are performing best among high income earners?
- How big of an impact has Temu had on the category?