THE CART OF SURVIVAL
Brands are locked in a zero-sum battle with each other as consumers face a financial crunch. Here’s how to win.
THE CART OF SURVIVAL
Brands are locked in a zero-sum battle with each other as consumers face a financial crunch. Here’s how to win.
American consumers are in trouble. And that means American brands are in trouble.
As war rages on in Iran and Ukraine, fuel prices are burning a hole in Americans’ wallets — sending consumers’ confidence in the economy consistently lower than any time since COVID.
At the core of this growing and worsening confidence crisis: Many Americans are just barely getting by as bills continue to rise.
Inflation punched a hole in many household incomes, as prices across sectors rocketed up during 2022 and 2023. Some Americans were able to keep up with rising wages, but many others were not — and the sting of those prices remains today, as persistently high gas prices punch a new, deep hole in wallets.
The result of this reality: Many Americans say they don’t have any disposable income. 37% of Americans say, “After paying my bills, I don’t have money left to spend on the things I want.”
Americans are stretched thin
Source: The Ipsos Consumer Tracker, waves 145 and 146, fielded July 28-29 and Sept. 9-10, 2026
Americans are stretched thin
Source: The Ipsos Consumer Tracker, waves 145 and 146, fielded July 28-29 and Sept. 9-10, 2026
While this is especially true of low-income Americans, it’s also true in higher-income households: Even 24% of those who make more than $100,000 a year say they don’t have money left over to buy the things they want.
Two in three Americans (61%) say they’re only spending on necessities right now — including half of Americans making more than $100,000 a year.
This huge portion of Americans is living in a zero-sum economy. Only 18% of Americans say their budget is flexible enough that they are unaffected by price increases.
Americans facing the crunch are making trade-offs every day that aren’t just limited to choices between brands on a shelf — they’re choosing between buying a premium brand at the store or buying a cup of coffee on the way to work. They’re considering whether to cancel a streaming service or reduce their driving. And what they can’t afford now, they’re putting off or putting on credit cards, which are racking up record balances.
Q: When you experience a noticeable increase in gas prices or general living costs, which of the following best describes how you respond?
Source: The Ipsos Consumer Tracker, fielded June 2 – June 3, 2026 among 1,084 U.S. adults.
Q: When you experience a noticeable increase in gas prices or general living costs, which of the following best describes how you respond?
Source: The Ipsos Consumer Tracker, fielded June 2 – June 3, 2026 among 1,084 U.S. adults.
So in this zero-sum economy, where people say they don’t have money left over after paying bills, how do brands make sure they’re still reaching consumers’ carts?
Make consumers see you as a necessity.
But what IS a necessity today? The answer is static in some ways and constantly shifting in others.
15 years ago, only 21% of Americans said they need a mobile phone, Ipsos polling found. In 2025, that number made an astounding leap to 76%. As entertainment viewing habits have shifted, the number of Americans who say they need cable or satellite TV has fallen from 50% in 2011 to 31% in 2025, but the need for broadband internet has risen from 62% to 72%.
Meanwhile, our nation’s demands for caffeine haven’t budged: Half of Americans saw a home coffee maker as a necessity both in 2011 and 2025.
When you think of the following goods you might buy or own, which of the following applies?
2025
2011
Source: The Ipsos Consumer Tracker, fielded April 23 – April 24, 2025 among 1,085 U.S. adults.
Beyond macro trends, consumers in the zero-sum economy are making decisions about what products are essential enough to buy in virtual and physical aisles — and many are considering private-label alternatives.
Two in three Americans say private-label products are just as good as brand-name products, flipping the legacy assumption that store brands are second-tier. And half of Americans (53%) say they are buying more private-label products now than last year.
Still, established brands hold established advantages. Close to half of American consumers (43%) still say brand-name products offer superior quality compared to store brands, justifying the higher price.
And perhaps most importantly to brands trying to make themselves essential in a rough economy, habit remains incredibly powerful: Two in three Americans agree with the statement “I have favorite brands of products I buy often and am unwilling to switch.”
The number of Americans who say “I have favorite brands of products I buy often and am unwilling to switch”
Source: The Ipsos Consumer Tracker, fielded June 16-17, 2026
These brand choices aren’t just isolated to individual items on a grocery list. In the zero-sum economy, where people don’t have money left over after paying their bills, the lack of disposable income means that people are making trade-offs every day.
And those choices reverberate further out: A consumer’s choice to buy a private-label item at the grocery store may mean they have more money to spend on another purchase elsewhere, whether it be a third streaming service, a latte from a coffee shop or money in the bank for a plane ticket.
How can brands fight to keep their space, and hold on tight to their footing in the zero-sum economy? Those that understand their competitive set, lean into their strengths and stay on top of their brand health will be the ones who come out on top.
That’s not all. Ipsos experts know how to dive in and find the answers — read on to learn more.