U.S. consumer sentiment eased from an early August peak but remained positive at 11.5%, while economic sentiment climbed to a 2025 high of 2.5% after spending most of the year in negative territory, Coresight Research reported in the latest U.S. Consumer Survey Insights study.
In Coresight’s analysis of the home-furnishing sector, 45.3% of consumers reported buying home-furnishing products in the three months ended in August, a slight decline versus the previous quarter. Amazon and Walmart retained their dominance over home specialists and warehouse clubs, according to the market researcher, as they generated store visits by at least two in five home-furnishing shoppers.
At the same time, Walmart made gains among home improvement shoppers as 52.7% of consumers made a purchase in the three months ended August 2025, although that figure was down about 11 points year over year. Still, in the latest quarter, Walmart outpaced The Home Depot and secured top spot among home improvement shoppers while Amazon, for the first time, outpaced Lowe’s for third place.
High-income consumers drove the general sentiment gains for the most part, demonstrating demand resilience from affluent consumers, Coresight pointed out. In contrast, lower-income shoppers continue to trade down and deal-seek in discretionary categories.
Despite tariff pressures and mixed macroeconomic signals, consumer near-term expectations have improved. Coresight noted that it expects volatility to persist week to week, but the rolling trend for affluent consumers should support steady sales growth in the coming months, especially during the holiday season.
It’s not that more affluent shoppers aren’t seeking value, as management at companies such as Walmart and those in the dollar store sector have told Coresight that higher-income shoppers have supported sales growth. Coresight suggests that retailers and brands seeking higher-income consumer spending should cater to the group’s demand for convenience, especially in omnichannel services such as buy online, pick up in store.
