See how consumers feel about the economy & COVID.

While finances and the economy remained the top concern for shoppers in September, COVID concern saw its largest one-month increase since January 2022, jumping nearly 10 points from August. A third of US consumers think mask mandates and travel restrictions are likely in the next few months, double what we saw earlier this summer. 

Nearly three-fourths of consumers are uncomfortable splurging on premium items or taking money out of savings, in line with last month. A similar number expect to cut back on certain items—especially restaurants, travel and apparel—in the coming months to save money.

Numerator's consumer sentiment survey is fielded to 1,000+ consumers on a monthly basis. All consumers are active members of Numerator's 150,000 person Total Commerce Panel. The study was updated in June 2022 to incorporate new timely questions about the economy and to sunset some COVID-19 era sentiment questions. Responses are shown at a total level and also broken out by income level.

Income Level Definitions:

Low Income: <$40k annual household income || Middle Income: $40 – 80k annual household income || High Income: >$80k annual household income