consumers

Alphabet’s Google has agreed to pay $700 million and to allow for greater competition in its Play app store, according to the terms of an antitrust settlement with U.S. states and consumers disclosed on Monday in a San Francisco federal court. Google will pay $630 million into a settlement fund for consumers and $70 million into […]

NEW YORK—Retailers are kicking off the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season on Friday with a bevy of discounts and other enticements. But executives are growing concerned with a spending slowdown that could temper sales on the day after Thanksgiving as well as throughout the holidays. Shoppers, powered by a solid job market and […]

The Federal Trade Commission has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon. Lina Khan, the chair of the commission, has been critical of Amazon since her time in law school. NTD spoke with Jessica Melugin from the Competitive Enterprise Institute to get her take on the lawsuit.

Fake listings have emerged as a major problem for Airbnb, threatening to scare off consumers and prompting the short-term rental service to use AI in an effort to crack down on fraudsters. Airbnb says it has removed 59,000 fake listings and prevented another 157,000 from joining the platform this year. Fake listings and high cleaning […]

Prices at the pump have surged to their highest level this year on tighter gasoline supplies. Consumers tend to get a break from steeper fuel costs as peak vacation travel ebbs. But strong demand and a series of refinery outages have pushed the national average retail price to $3.86 per gallon on Tuesday, according to […]

More and more Americans are failing to make payments on their credit cards and auto loans. A report from Moody’s investors service this week indicates delinquencies of at least 30 days are past pre-COVID levels. It shows new credit card payment lapses rose 0.7 percent between the first and second quarter. For recent auto delinquencies, […]

It’s estimated that around 40 percent of online reviews are fake and aren’t written by independent consumers who actually bought the product. An industry expert walks through an example of a fake review so people will know how to spot one.

NEW YORK—As concerns grow over increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT, the nation’s financial watchdog says it’s working to ensure that companies follow the law when they’re using AI. Already, automated systems and algorithms help determine credit ratings, loan terms, bank account fees, and other aspects of our financial lives. AI also affects hiring, […]

According to S&P Global Ratings, there are indications of vulnerability within the retail industry, leading to a forecast of a potential mild recession this year. The retail sector is experiencing a decline in consumer spending, which is negatively impacting certain retailers.  

Food inflation is surging across Europe, with the latest data showing an average of nearly 20 percent in February. But in Hungary, that figure is nearly 50 percent.

Walmart is concerned about the U.S. economic outlook this year after its latest earnings projections showed that consumers were under heavy pressure. Shares of the retail giant rose 0.4 percent after the big-box retailer gave its weaker-than-expected outlook for the year ahead. The world’s largest retailer saw its full-year earnings forecast (pdf) fall below estimates, as […]

NEW YORK—Across the country, there’s a silent frustration brewing about an age-old practice that many say is getting out of hand: tipping. Some fed-up consumers are posting rants on social media complaining about tip requests at drive-thrus, while others say they’re tired of being asked to leave a gratuity for a muffin or a simple […]

Industry analysts, Joseph Trevisani and Ted Rossman, talk about consumers’ growing credit card debt and what it could mean for the economic outlook.

Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, told NTD that the U.S. consumer is looking quite good. She said this is a better indicator of the economy than the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank saying earlier this week that recent job gains had likely been overstated by 1.1 million.

In the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report, wholesale prices rose 8 percent over the last 12 months. The PPI measures prices paid for goods and services before they reach consumers. The report is considered by some to be a leading indicator of broader inflationary trends and a predictor of what consumers will eventually see […]

Most retailers and restaurants have reported earnings for the latest quarter, and the data show that consumers continue to choose experiences over physical products.

As industry experts commented, consumers are really the ones who will be driving California’s ban on gas vehicle sales. NTD went to hear from some drivers about what they think of the upcoming change.