Colorado Daily Life

U.S. consumers haven’t stopped spending since the Iran war drove up fuel prices. But company executives and retail analysts say many shoppers are reassessing what they buy and where. The behavior changes observed so far are subtle. They include drivers flocking to the fuel pumps at warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, but not filling up their tanks all the way. Market research firms say foot traffic is down at clothing and electronics stores. Executives from Walmart, McDonald’s and Dollar General have reported noticeable cutbacks by lower-income customers. Some economists and analysts expect a wider retrenchment as the cumulative impact of costlier gas, food and other products catches up with more people.

Rising gas prices pushed inflation to its highest level in three years last month, a headache for the Federal Reserve and a potential political challenge for the Trump administration as midterm elections near. New data showed Wednesday that consumer prices rose 4.2% in May from a year earlier, the third straight monthly increase. Prices have now risen faster than wages for several months. Families are dipping into savings to maintain their spending, and more people are falling behind on their credit card bills. Large retailers say they have also noticed changes in customer behavior, like buying smaller amounts of gas during visits to the pump.