46+ min ago   (771+ words) The smallest SMBs enter the fourth quarter with almost no revenue growth cushion compared with businesses above $1 million in annual sales. Digital sales channels and broader payment acceptance give Main Street merchants more ways to reach consumers whose spending power…...

4+ day, 49+ min ago   (564+ words) PYMNTS Intelligence found that 37% of Labor Economy consumers are needs-focused shoppers, compared with 26% of higher earners. Just 20% of Labor Economy consumers prioritize quality and convenience, versus 30% of higher earners. The gap puts more pressure on merchants to deliver savings at…...

4+ day, 9+ hour ago   (450+ words) The Fed found solid high-end spending alongside broader price sensitivity and pullbacks in several districts. District reports show the divide reaching credit: New York banks reported worsening consumer credit quality, while Atlanta contacts said some households were borrowing for essentials....

5+ day, 14+ hour ago   (500+ words) Lotte Group has secured South Korean regulatory approval to sell its controlling interest in Lotte Rental, advancing a broader effort by the conglomerate to shed non-core assets and shore up its balance sheet as earnings improve at several major businesses....

5+ day, 14+ hour ago   (558+ words) Diamondback Energy, Occidental Petroleum and other US oil producers will have to defend against lawsuits accusing them of coordinating shale-production decisions in a way that pushed up crude and fuel prices, after a federal judge rejected key efforts to throw…...

6+ day, 48+ min ago   (125+ words) The biggest threat to the summer budget may be the expenses consumers can’t cancel. New PYMNTS Intelligence data suggests that groceries, utility bills and transportation costs are putting more pressure on household budgets than vacations, camps or back-to-school shopping. Yet…...

6+ day, 14+ hour ago   (574+ words) South Korea’s antitrust regulator approved Hanwha Group’s increased investment in Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., finding that the defense conglomerate’s 15.89% holding doesn’t give it sufficient control over the country’s sole aircraft manufacturer. The Korea Fair Trade Commission, or KFTC, concluded that…...

1+ week, 11+ hour ago   (446+ words) The head of buy now, pay later provider Affirm says gas prices are weighing on consumers. “The U.S. consumer undoubtedly sees the higher gas prices, so can’t, can’t ignore that,” Max Levchin said in an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago   (593+ words) Dollar General said it continued to see trade-in from middle- and high-income shoppers while its low-income customers remain financially constrained. Dollar Tree’s consumables comparable sales rose 5.8% in the quarter, compared with 1.6% for discretionary merchandise. At Dollar General, higher prices lifted…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (366+ words) Kohl’s sales continue to slip as its shoppers continue to face household budgetary pressures. The department store chain reported quarterly earnings Wednesday (Aug. 26) showing a 0.9% decrease in both net and comparable sales, marking the 18th straight quarter in which Kohl’s has seen…...