The Consumer Is Changing Fast — Here’s What Costco, Walmart & Home Depot See

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]Hi guys, my name is Tracy and I am the Practical Prepper and today I just want to have a little talk about what I'm sort of seeing in the economy and and what some of the big retailers are saying about how people are shifting their spending and I have taken some notes so I'm going to wear my glasses so I'm sorry about that but so I tend to trust what the big retailers say more than I trust the news the politicians I feel like the news has a political bias depending on which station you listen to obviously the politicians do there's a lot of people who just want to say hey everything's okay inflation's under control there's still jobs blah blah blah all that stuff like we all know they kind of they tell us kind of what they want us to hear and at least that's how I feel about it so the people who don't do that are the retailers the retailers tell us what's really happening in the stores they track all of our spending you know that they track everything and they see what changes in spending people are having and they can analyze what's changing just based on how we're spending our money how much of it we're spending what types of things we're buying and all that so it's interesting information I feel like it's more reflective of what's actually happening than what we're kind of reading in the headlines or seeing in the headlines so over the last couple of weeks Walmart Home Depot and Costco have all put out reports showing what these changes are so it's really interesting to take a look at them for me I can honestly say I resonate with everything that they have said in these reports and we have made decisions that are very similar to what other people are making and when you do your own changes in spending you don't really think oh are other people doing this too but this sort of confirms it like a lot of changes are happening.

[00:01:59]So, groceries cost more, utilities cost more, housing is costing more, and people are just trying to stretch their dollars as far as they can, and I think all of us have that feeling with this war in Iran, and what's been going on, that our our dollars are just not going to go as far. And so, we need to prepare for the future.

[00:02:20]Like, what if we see some price hikes similar to what we've seen in the last several years. Like, I feel like meat, steaks, steaks are twice as much as they used to be.

[00:02:33]And and they're already talking about the fertilizer issues, um the farmers having to reduce their livestock. So, that means if if fertilizer's an issue and they're reducing their livestock, that means down the road when those sort of cows are ready to be sold as steak, there's going to be less of them, and that means there's going to be higher prices just because of that. So, there's many, many examples like that, but they've already doubled in price in the last several years, at least where I live. And if they go up even higher, we're not going to be buying steaks all that much anymore.

[00:03:07]So, let's break down what each retailer says.

[00:03:10]So, Walmart says that shoppers have become extremely value-focused.

[00:03:16]Walmart is actually doing pretty well, and the reason why they're doing well is cuz they have all their normal shoppers.

[00:03:22]Like, people are still shopping at Walmart. But, what they're also seeing now is that people who would normally not have shopped at Walmart, like people who would maybe shop at more expensive stores, like I mean, in our area, Albertsons is pretty darn expensive. There's other grocery stores out there that are really more expensive. Like, people aren't shopping in those stores as much anymore, and they're starting to shop in less expensive stores like Walmart. And so, that's a shift. So, they're retaining all their regular customers, and now they're gaining customers that are choosing Walmart over the more expensive stores.

[00:03:57]So, that's a huge shift, and I can say that has happened to us as well. I was one of those people who did not like shopping at Walmart. I didn't like going in there. It's too big. It's overwhelming. It's kind of crowded in the area that I'm at. And whenever you go to check out, at least here in ours, the lines take forever. Like, there's just never enough of them open. And it's just annoying. But, now that I'm like, I got to shop at Walmart, the prices are better than and a lot better on some things than the other stores in my area.

[00:04:28]So, I now I'm just sucking it up, and I'm doing it cuz I just I feel like I have no choice.

[00:04:34]So, Walmart says people are prioritizing groceries, household essentials, basic needs, and lower prices. And that's absolutely happening.

[00:04:42]Um at the same time, discretionary spending is softer. That means people are thinking harder before buying. So, they are not buying things like unless they really need to, like home decor, electronics, impulse purchase, or extra expensive items, or things that they just don't need. So, they're really focused on buying the essentials and the lower-priced essentials. Like, overall, that's how people are spending there.

[00:05:07]They also mentioned gasoline prices being a lot higher. So, even for them, everything that they bring in is affected by gasoline because, you know, everything gets moved around by trucks that drive with gasoline. So, everything costs more when the gasoline prices are high. At the time I am shooting this video, the gas is or oil right now is over $100 a barrel, or around $100 a barrel, and and that is very high. So, that's going to affect everything.

[00:05:34]So, Walmart tends to be one of those stores that benefits during sort of economic hard times because they have like this, you know, these the prices are better because they're like a huge store, and they get these like large quantities, like they can they can buy in bulk, they get these special prices.

[00:05:49]Other smaller stores don't get that.

[00:05:52]So, Walmart, their basic thing that they're saying is people are still buying, but they're buying like sort of more cautiously, more defensively, um buying necessities rather than luxury items or extra items.

[00:06:05]So, the next place is Costco. So, Costco is seeing something similar, but with a slightly different angle. They said people are willing to spend money when they feel they're getting a strong value. So, people are really coming into Costco because they can buy things in bulk and they can get those better prices on the bulk items that last longer. So, they're willing to make that investment more so now to buy things like that. So, Costco's getting, you know, more crowded and people are doing less shopping at other places and they're taking advantage of those bulk prices. They're focusing on groceries, fuel savings. So, when gas prices go up, Costco tends to have the best prices in gas. So, people start like saying, "Hey, I guess I am going to go deal with that Costco line at the gas station because it's worth driving to that that place to get gas versus just going to your other stations around town." I know that makes a big difference here because our gas prices can be quite a quite a bit higher than Costco. And then they're also looking at staple goods, things that stay in your cupboards longer, like, you know, the dry goods, the shelf-stable goods that you can buy in large quantities.

[00:07:15]So, it all makes sense cuz people are stocking up on things like that that can last a long time, they can get good prices by buying in bulk.

[00:07:23]Another interesting thing that Costco has mentioned is that shoppers become more intentional. They're not just going like grabbing stuff off the shelves, they're really thinking about their purchases and they're making sure it's actually something they need. So, they're the impulse shopping has gone down. People are not buying these extra like, "Oh, this looks nice, I'm going to get it cuz it's at Costco and it's a good deal. They're just they're skipping out stuff unless they really seem to need it. And people are trying to maximize value and they're focusing on their necessities before the wants. So, the extra things that Costco sells that they don't really need, they're just not going to get them. I mean, you know, there's a lot of frivolous items at Costco as well like maybe the jewelry and sometimes all those stuffies and the playground the play equipment in the backyard and all the brand new barbecue this year or or or whatever they have. I don't know, maybe they don't sell barbecues. That's Home Depot. Um but they're just focusing on the things they need, not just like, "Hey, there's a good deal at Costco. I'm going to get it." Nope, they're not going to get it just cuz it's a good deal. They're going to want the good deal and the necessity.

[00:08:22]So, they're combining those two thoughts when they make their purchases. And that's what Costco has noticed.

[00:08:28]So, what this says is the consumer still has money to spend right now, but they're really watching their budgets and they're being cautious and deliberate in the way that they shop, which they weren't doing so much before.

[00:08:40]And the next one is Home Depot. This one I find to be very interesting because housing prices and like repairs and maintenance and remodels and all that stuff, that that that covers a large uh part of the economic picture just just because so much happens when you buy a house. Like people typically uh if the mortgage rates are good and the prices are good, then there's money being exchanged there, money being made.

[00:09:07]People when they move in, they typically they do some redecorating, remodeling, they'll repair some things, they're going to have to make large purchases like if they needed new washer and dryer or a refrigerator. Um they're going to do uh flooring, they're going to have to buy more furniture. They might have landscaping that needs to be done. They they need tools to do projects and they're always wanting to upgrade things.

[00:09:31]But what they are seeing is that people are not doing all that. So, mortgage rates are remaining pretty high, prices are They've come down a bit, I think, but they're still pretty high, at least in our area. So, people aren't moving as much, so they aren't doing all these projects they might normally be doing if they were moving and buying and selling.

[00:09:50]So, the slowdown in that just by the mortgage rates slows down all the transactions, all these people shifting around from house to house, and all the Hold on, my phone just rang. And all the things they might be doing because they've shifted around in houses. So, that that's that that's like a ton of activity, and I know that our family has definitely done that. We have moved quite a few times, and we have done a ton of remodeling ourselves.

[00:10:19]We've hired out some of our remodeling, we've done landscape, we've just we've done it all. And we are just at this point where we're like, "We're not doing anything."

[00:10:27]It's like, "We will repair what we have to repair. If a dishwasher breaks, I'm going to fix it.

[00:10:32]If I have to buy a new one, I will, but if I can fix it, I'm going to fix it.

[00:10:36]Um, do I want new cabinets in my kitchen?

[00:10:38]Yes, I do. I want a whole new kitchen, but am I going to get it right now? No.

[00:10:42]We're not spending money on that kind of stuff right now. Do I want new flooring?

[00:10:45]Yes, I do, but no, we're not going to get any of that right now. Do I need new carpet in my bedroom? Yes, I do, but we're not doing it right now. In the past, we probably would have done it, but right now, we are being conservative in our spending, and apparently, so are a lot of other people. Like, Home Depot's reporting on this. Like, people are just not doing things. They're just maintaining what they have. They're willing to spend the money to fix things, but they're not building as much or remodeling as much or are doing those things as much. They're just Everybody wants to take care of what they have right now, and maybe save that money for a rainy day, which makes sense if you expect in the future things aren't going to be going as well.

[00:11:28]So, people have some money, but they are kind of feeling like they need to hold on to it right now at the very least.

[00:11:34]You know, some people may not have any money and that's another issue as well.

[00:11:37]But even if people have some, they aren't really willing to spend it as easily as they would have been in the past. So, people are delaying their dream kitchen, they're delaying their luxury remodels, they are um skipping major remodeling projects that they may have done in the past. So, maybe in a couple years they'll do it. But you know, usually when you have a project like that, it's not really a need thing.

[00:12:00]A lot of times it's a I want thing. So, people aren't spending money on the I want things as much as they are waiting to see if they need to do things. Like they need to replace something or fix something or upgrade it make it, you know, their dream kitchen or whatever.

[00:12:15]So, that's a very different type of spending behavior. So, this is a major shift in how people would spend money on those types of things. That's happening all over the place.

[00:12:26]So, the overall shift is people spending their They're looking for value. They're They are holding off on unnecessary purchases. They're delaying major expenses if they can. They're asking myself, do Do I really need this? Do I really need to spend my money on this?

[00:12:43]Can we wait? Can we wait a year? Can we wait 6 months? Can we wait 2 years?

[00:12:49]Um do I need to take this big vacation even? Maybe I'll do a smaller vacation, something where I don't have to get on airplane. Cuz that's another thing that's gone up, right? The airline prices have gone like cuckoo crazy for this summer. And I know cuz I have I'm going somewhere and we paid a lot for our tickets.

[00:13:06]It's It's just higher than it's ever been, it feels like. So, I'm not saying people are incredibly stressed yet about money. I mean, we are still in sort of like a time of caution. People are being careful. They're not just spending, spending, spending on whatever. At least not according to these stores.

[00:13:28]The shift has has begun. People are are are cautious about what is coming and we should be. We've got the war in Iran. We have the potential expense of that. We have the fertilizer issues. We have the cow issues. We have the gas prices that are super high right now. So if you think about all that stuff and you're looking forward you know that if this stuff continues that even if it doesn't continue like the there's already going to be an effect and it hasn't hit us yet. Like we have to know that like 6 months a year a year and a half down the road some of these price hikes are going to hit and they and we need to be prepared for that to happen.

[00:14:08]At least if you like to think ahead like I do. As a prepper I like to think ahead. I like to say hmm this doesn't look good.

[00:14:16]And I have another video I want to talk about what the lady at the grocery store told me and she had a an interesting little story so I thought I'd share that but it's just another thing that points towards what's happening with people. So I just think it's this is good to look at. This is good to look at for everybody.

[00:14:33]Be level-headed about it. Be practical about it. If you know prices are going to get more expensive in the future it's good to prepare now but maybe not putting yourself into an extended financial position. Don't charge 20 grand on your credit card for something you don't need like a big vacation.

[00:14:50]Maybe wait and see what really does happen cuz you may want to use any extra money that you have you may need it. So it's good to like hold off just be a little cautious and look forward to what may happen and and be a little bit better prepared by not wasting money on other things right now.

[00:15:08]So my mom grew up and I always think about her when I think about people not spending as much money. Like she grew up during like post post depression era. So even in after the after the Great Depression was sort of over, it took many, many, many, many, many years for people to financially recover from that. And my mom's family and my dad's family, they were they were people that were growing up during those times. And she just said, you know, nobody had money, nobody spent money on anything. Whatever they did, they would have to do things that were free.

[00:15:44]Um if they had something that needed to be repaired, they had to learn how to repair it themselves. Uh like cars, washing machine, whatever.

[00:15:53]They would either fix it themselves or it would just not be fixed. And a lot of times she said they just had to do without. They had to learn to do without. And that is a different mindset. Like most people nowadays are not uh they're they're not doing without.

[00:16:08]They don't really know how to live without, do without. We've gotten very comfortable with having all the things that we have. And so it's just a good time to to think about, like, do you want to do without things or do you want to prepare so you that you don't have to do without as many things? And my goal is to prepare so I don't have to do without as many things. Um so I'm not uh so my family's not hit as hard during those times.

[00:16:35]So I hope that you're kind of in that position as well or you're in agreement with that and you don't want to do without either. So you're preparing and you're being conservative in your spending.

[00:16:46]So people adapt, they learn how to adapt. And I think that's one of the most important things to remember is that people are resilient, families can do lots of things. You can start cooking at home, you start finding free ways to entertain yourselves, you repair things instead of just replacing them, you buy used items, you sell things that you don't need. It's so much easier to do that now with the internet than it used to be.

[00:17:11]You reduce waste, you try to hold on to whatever you can. You can barter with, you know, lots of different things. You can actually um see people doing more and more of these things online. It's It's talked about a lot more. And it's It's just showing that people's psychology around economics is changing in real time, and you can actually see it like you you know, you you you can see people changing their behaviors, and obviously the retailers can see it.

[00:17:38]So, it's just interesting, and um I hope we all kind of learn from this so that we're better prepared if things do get um more difficult than they already are.

[00:17:48]And during times like these, I really think it's a time to remain practical, or get more practical if you're not practical. Don't be fearful. Don't get panicked.

[00:17:59]Uh just be very practical, and um it's just a time to reduce unnecessary debt.

[00:18:05]You can build your emergency supplies slowly.

[00:18:09]That's always great for a prepper, just to do it slowly over time. Don't stress about it. Don't try to do it all at once. Just consistently Uh learn skills. Learn how to repair things. Learn how to use tools. Learn how to have skills that people might want if the economy's not doing so well, like sewing, canning, auto repair, um any kind of repair, really. Uh just skills like like gardening is a great skill to learn. Avoid overspending.

[00:18:41]Um become more financially resilient.

[00:18:44]Get women spend less money on like fingernails and so many clothes. I mean, there's things we obviously spend money on that we have to kind of control. And guys, you too. Like, I don't know, maybe don't buy as many, I don't know, guitars or motorcycles or whatever you like to buy, you know.

[00:19:01]>> [clears throat] >> Borrow things. Borrow things from friends. Loan some Loan things to friends, like tools and things like that. You don't need a ladder necessarily if you just have one thing, right? That you're going to do with the ladder, like borrow borrow you know these things from friends if they have it. It's like it's a way to build community actually like that we actually so I got help each other out, right?

[00:19:21]So honestly a lot of the habits that help during economic uncertain times are just healthier long-term habits anyway like buying intentionally avoiding waste being prepared living below your means learning how to make things last and attaining learning new skills. I mean this is just a great great stuff to do anyway. So anyway guys those are signals from Walmart Costco and Home Depot. This is what the reports are saying the consumer reports. So you can go look them up yourself. Don't believe me go check them out. Tell me what you've heard that I missed um but I think a lot of feeling families are already feeling the shift happening.

[00:20:00]I know we have for a while like we barely eat out anymore.

[00:20:03]Uh we don't waste money. I mean it's just like we have changed our habits and I think a lot of other people have too.

[00:20:09]So Uh let me know your thoughts. Um have you changed how you shop? Um are you spending your money differently than you did a couple of years ago? I would love to hear about it. Um what changes have you noticed in your area?

[00:20:22]Leave your thoughts in the comments. Let us know what's going on with you that you feel like it's really changed in the last couple of years or even the last couple months. And if you enjoy content like this please like subscribe and share. It really helps my channel to grow and I'll see you guys in the next video. All right. Bye-bye.

[00:20:42]Hey if you enjoyed that video I thought you might like to check out this video next.

[00:20:48]Thanks for watching you guys and I'll see you next time.