Caution Returns to Consumer Markets
April 30, 2026
Softening confidence and higher costs are driving more cautious, value-focused behavior – forcing brands to plan for flatter, less predictable demand.
Category
Black Friday and Cyber Monday were blowout days for TikTok Shop.
In app purchases saw a 165% increase in shoppers year-over-year. Fueled by both familiar and new creators within TikTok’s extensive community, there were over 4 billion #tiktokshopblackfriday views and 3.5 billion #tiktokshopcybermonday across the platform to help inspire shoppers, according to TikTok’s data.
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Markets
Softening confidence and higher costs are driving more cautious, value-focused behavior – forcing brands to plan for flatter, less predictable demand.
U.S. demand remains relatively resilient, is facing headwinds, while EU growth has softened
Disciplined inventory control, a capital-light platform and margin-first retailing are helping Next outperform rivals in a difficult apparel market.
Brands wrapped up 2025 with stronger-than-expected earnings. However there are serious concerns heading into 2026.
Higher oil and energy costs are expected to squeeze discretionary spending in key markets, putting apparel and other non-essential retail under pressure in Q2.
A fragile revenue recovery is facing pressure from tariffs, higher operating costs, and the cost of ongoing transformation programs.
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