Consumer News: Consumer worries about tariff-induced inflation focus on utility bills

It marks a reversal from the companys recent downsizing trend.

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• CVS plans to open more new retail locations than it closes in 2026, signaling a strategic pivot after years of downsizing.

• The company is focusing on smaller-format stores and health-focused locations tied to its care delivery strategy.

• Executives say the shift reflects changing consumer demand and a renewed emphasis on in-person services.

It turns out brick-and-mortar retail may not be headed for extinction. CVS Health is preparing to expand its retail footprint in 2026, marking a notable shift after several years of store closures aimed at streamlining operations and adapting to changing consumer habits.

The company announced that it expects to open more stores than it closes thisyear, reversing a downsizing trend that saw hundreds of locations shuttered across the U.S. since 2021. The move reflects growing confidence in its evolving retail model, which blends traditional pharmacy services with a broader health care offering.

"Pharmacists are among the most accessible and most trusted health care providers," Len Shankman, a senior executive at CVS Health, told Healthcare Finance. "We know how important it is for patients to be able to speak one-on-one with their pharmacist, have their questions answered, and seek medication advice when needed."

A new kind of store

Rather than returning to its legacy large-format stores, CVS is prioritizing smaller, more targeted locations. Many of the planned openings will be designed to support health care services, including primary care, chronic disease management, and wellness monitoring.

These locations will often be integrated with CVS-owned health care assets, such as Oak Street Health clinics and MinuteClinic services. The goal is to create community-based health hubs that complement the companys insurance and pharmacy benefit management businesses.

Industry analysts say the approach reflects broader trends in retail health care.

CVSearlier store closure program was part of a multi-year plan to reduce costs and eliminate underperforming locations. Between 2021 and 2024, the company announced the closure of roughly 900 stores, citing shifting shopping patterns and increased digital adoption.

But while foot traffic for traditional retail items has declined, demand for in-person health care services has remained strong. That dynamic is driving the companys renewed investment in brick-and-mortar locations.

Executives emphasized that the new stores will be strategically placed, often in underserved or high-growth areas, rather than densely saturated retail corridors.

Balancing digital and physical growth

The expansion does not signal a retreat from CVSdigital ambitions. The company continues to invest heavily in online prescription management, home delivery, and virtual care services.

Instead, the strategy is aimed at creating a hybrid model where digital tools and physical locations work together. For example, patients may begin care through a telehealth visit and then be referred to a nearby CVS location for follow-up services.

CVSs move comes amid intensifying competition in the retail health care space. Rivals including Walgreens, Walmart, and Amazon are all experimenting with different models to capture a share of the growing market for accessible, low-cost care.

By shifting back into expansion mode but with a redesigned store concept CVS may be attempting to differentiate itself through integration and scale.

Food service and construction saw the biggest slowdown

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• U.S. job openings held steady at 6.9 million in February, signaling a relatively stable but cooling labor market.

• Hiring fell sharply to 4.8 million, marking the lowest hiring rate since April 2020.

• Worker quits and layoffs were largely unchanged, suggesting cautious behavior from both employees and employers.

If you think its getting harder to find a job, its not your imagination. Employers have pumped the brakes on hiring.

In its latest report on job openings, the Labor Department found that hiring slowed considerably in February, even as job openings and overall separations remained relatively stable.

Employers reported 6.9 million job openings at the end of February, essentially unchanged from the prior month. The job openings rate held at 4.2%, indicating that while demand for workers persists, it is no longer expanding at the pace seen in recent years.

The more significant shift came in hiring activity. Employers brought on 4.8 million workers during the month, a drop of nearly 500,000 from January. The hiring rate fell to 3.1%, its lowest level since April 2020, during the early months of the pandemic. Compared with a year earlier, hiring is down by 387,000.

Where it was harder to find work

The decline was especially pronounced in accommodation and food services, which shed 178,000 hires, and in construction, where hiring fell by 88,000. These sectors have been among the more volatile in recent labor market cycles and are often sensitive to broader economic conditions.

Meanwhile, total separations which include quits, layoffs, and other departures held steady at 5.0 million, with a rate of 3.1%. This suggests that while hiring is slowing, employers are not broadly cutting jobs.

Quits, a key measure of worker confidence, remained unchanged at 3.0 million. The quit rate stayed at 1.9%, reflecting a workforce that is neither aggressively seeking new opportunities nor retreating sharply. Declines in quits were seen in accommodation and food services, wholesale trade, and the federal government, while nondurable goods manufacturing posted a modest increase.

Overall layoffs remained stable

Layoffs and discharges also showed little movement, holding at 1.7 million with a rate of 1.1%. However, there were some sector-specific shifts. Retail trade saw an increase of 72,000 layoffs, while nondurable goods manufacturing and the federal government recorded declines.

Other separations including retirements and transfers fell by 75,000 to 277,000.

Looking at business size, smaller establishments with fewer than 10 employees saw a decline in job opening rates, while most other labor market indicators remained stable across both small and large employers.

Overall, Februarys data paint a picture of a labor market that is stabilizing after a period of rapid expansion, with slower hiring emerging as the most notable trend.

But consumers are clearly worried about the future

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• U.S. consumer confidence edged higher in March, marking a second straight monthly gain.

• Short-term expectations declined, reflecting growing concern about inflation, jobs, and income.

• Rising costs tied to tariffs and oil prices weighed heavily on consumers outlook.

Despite surging gasoline prices and a lackluster job market, consumers appear to be feeling a little better about things. Consumer confidence rose modestly in March, extending a recent upward trend driven by improved perceptions of current economic conditions, even as Americans grew more cautious about the future.

The Conference Board said its Consumer Confidence Index ticked up 0.8 points to 91.8 in March from 91.0 in February. The gain was largely fueled by a stronger assessment of present conditions, while expectations for the months ahead deteriorated.

The Present Situation Index jumped 4.6 points to 123.3, reflecting improved views of business activity and the labor market. By contrast, the Expectations Index fell 1.7 points to 70.9 well below the threshold of 80 that often signals a potential recession ahead.

Consumer confidence ticked up again in March, as a modest improvement in consumers' views of current conditions outweighed a slight downshift in expectations for the future, said Dana M. Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board.

While March was a slight improvement, confidence remains on a broader downward trajectory that dates back to 2021. Underlying the mixed results are persistent concerns about rising prices, particularly as higher oil costs and tariff-related price pressures filter through the economy.

Inflation expectations are up

Inflation expectations surged in March to levels not seen since August 2025, when consumers were bracing for additional tariffs. At the same time, more Americans now expect interest rates to rise over the next year, and optimism about stock market gains has declined sharply.

Consumers also expressed growing anxiety about the broader economic outlook. The share of respondents who believe a recession is very likely in the next 12 months increased, while fewer said a downturn was unlikely.

Spending intentions reflect that caution. While interest in major purchases like cars and furniture remains relatively resilient, more consumers are shifting toward saying no when asked about big-ticket buying plans. Preferences continue to favor used cars over new ones, and existing homes over new construction.

Prioritizing essentials

At the same time, households are prioritizing essentials and lower-cost activities. Spending plans for services declined across most categories, with consumers focusing on necessities such as utilities and health care, while cutting back on discretionary expenses like travel. Foreign travel plans dropped sharply, likely due to geopolitical tensions, while domestic travel held steadier.

Demographic data showed uneven sentiment. Younger consumers remained the most optimistic, while those 55 and older were the least confident. Millennials were the only age group to report improved confidence in March, while most income groups saw declines.

Survey responses highlighted the dominant concerns: rising costs, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions. Mentions of oil prices and conflict increased significantly during the survey period, underscoring the impact of global events on household sentiment.

Overall, while current conditions appear to be stabilizing, the outlook suggests consumers remain wary balancing a still-solid present against a more uncertain future.

The CPSC says the cords are dangerous and dont belong in U.S. homes

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Federal safety officials have pushed major online marketplaces to remove dangerous male-to-male extension cords from sale.

• The cords can expose live electrical prongs, creating a high risk of electrocution, fire, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Regulators are urging consumers to stop using the products immediately and dispose of them safely.

Federal regulators are warning consumers that just because a product is sold by a reputable U.S. retailer that it meets all safety standards. Some consumer products imported from China do not.

In the latest example, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has gottenagreements from major e-commerce platforms including Walmart, eBay and AliExpress to remove hazardous male-to-male extension cords from their listings, stepping up a long-running effort to keep the products out of American homes.

The cords, sometimes referred to as suicide cords, feature two male ends with exposed prongs. When plugged into a power source, those prongs can become energized, posing a severe risk of electrocution or fire. Federal officials say the products have no legitimate household use and should never be used under any circumstances.

These cords pose a serious risk of fire and electrocution, said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman in a statement. We are now taking the next step by securing delisting commitments from e-commerce platforms to remove these dangerous products from the marketplace.

The agency also warned that the cords are frequently used in a hazardous practice known as backfeeding, in which a generator is connected directly to a homes electrical system. This can energize power lines unexpectedly, putting users, utility workers, and others at risk of serious injury or death.

Additional risk

Compounding the danger, the cords are typically short, increasing the likelihood that generators will be operated too close to homes or in enclosed spaces. That raises the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, a potentially fatal hazard.

The recalled-style cords were commonly sold in blue, red, or yellow and feature three-prong black plugs on both ends. They were manufactured in China and sold online by multiple third-party sellers across the platforms. Among those identified by regulators are Shenzhen Lieniao Import & Export, Wz-Ei Co. Ltd., Ganjiang New District Yuslow Toys Sales Co. Ltd., and several other China-based companies operating storefronts on eBay and AliExpress.

According to the CPSC, those sellers have not responded to requests for recalls or additional product information. Despite that, the agency said it was able to work directly with the marketplaces to remove the listings and secure commitments to identify and delist similar products going forward.

Consumers who have purchased the cords are urged to stop using them immediately. The CPSC advises unplugging the cords carefully and avoiding contact with the exposed prongs before disposing of them.

The agency said the action is part of a broader effort to prevent hazardous products from reaching U.S. consumers through online marketplaces, where oversight of third-party sellers has been an ongoing challenge.

But consumers are clearly worried about the future

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• U.S. consumer confidence edged higher in March, marking a second straight monthly gain.

• Short-term expectations declined, reflecting growing concern about inflation, jobs, and income.

• Rising costs tied to tariffs and oil prices weighed heavily on consumers outlook.

Despite surging gasoline prices and a lackluster job market, consumers appear to be feeling a little better about things. Consumer confidence rose modestly in March, extending a recent upward trend driven by improved perceptions of current economic conditions, even as Americans grew more cautious about the future.

The Conference Board said its Consumer Confidence Index ticked up 0.8 points to 91.8 in March from 91.0 in February. The gain was largely fueled by a stronger assessment of present conditions, while expectations for the months ahead deteriorated.

The Present Situation Index jumped 4.6 points to 123.3, reflecting improved views of business activity and the labor market. By contrast, the Expectations Index fell 1.7 points to 70.9well below the threshold of 80 that often signals a potential recession ahead.

Consumer confidence ticked up again in March, as a modest improvement in consumers' views of current conditions outweighed a slight downshift in expectations for the future, said Dana M. Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board.

While March was a slight improvement, confidence remains on a broader downward trajectory that dates back to 2021. Underlying the mixed results are persistent concerns about rising prices, particularly as higher oil costs and tariff-related price pressures filter through the economy.

Inflation expectations are up

Inflation expectations surged in March to levels not seen since August 2025, when consumers were bracing for additional tariffs. At the same time, more Americans now expect interest rates to rise over the next year, and optimism about stock market gains has declined sharply.

Consumers also expressed growing anxiety about the broader economic outlook. The share of respondents who believe a recession is very likely in the next 12 months increased, while fewer said a downturn was unlikely.

Spending intentions reflect that caution. While interest in major purchases like cars and furniture remains relatively resilient, more consumers are shifting toward saying no when asked about big-ticket buying plans. Preferences continue to favor used cars over new ones, and existing homes over new construction.

Prioritizing essentials

At the same time, households are prioritizing essentials and lower-cost activities. Spending plans for services declined across most categories, with consumers focusing on necessities such as utilities and healthcare while cutting back on discretionary expenses like travel. Foreign travel plans dropped sharply, likely due to geopolitical tensions, while domestic travel held steadier.

Demographic data showed uneven sentiment. Younger consumers remained the most optimistic, while those 55 and older were the least confident. Millennials were the only age group to report improved confidence in March, while most income groups saw declines.

Survey responses highlighted the dominant concerns: rising costs, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions. Mentions of oil prices and conflict increased significantly during the survey period, underscoring the impact of global events on household sentiment.

Overall, while current conditions appear to be stabilizing, the outlook suggests consumers remain warybalancing a still-solid present against a more uncertain future.