Small Business Sales Grow on Higher Tickets and Retail Rebound, Fiserv Data Shows

Fiserv Small Business Index increased to 145; year-over-year sales grew +2.4%

Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology, has published the Fiserv Small Business Index for June 2026. The monthly index of consumer spending at small businesses indicates steady short-term expansion, with both nominal sales and transaction volume increasing. Annually, growth trends continue to reflect the ongoing impact of inflation.

The seasonally adjusted Index increased to 145. Sales rose (+2.4%) year over year and (+0.8%) month over month. Small business growth remained driven by higher average tickets, which increased (+3.7%) compared to 2025. Throughout June, the pace of growth for some sectors, such as Retail, reflected a more balanced mix of pricing and activity compared with May. Transactions continued their year-over-year downward trend (-1.3%), but improved (+0.5%) month over month, signaling some stabilization in consumer activity.

“Small business spending in June was driven by a healthier balance between pricing gains and consumer activity,” said Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer, Fiserv. “Persistent inflation continues to shape spending behavior across both essential and discretionary categories, but the retail bounce and shift to goods spending suggest resilience.”

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Key Takeaways

Retail bounces back on higher foot traffic
Total retail sales increased (+3.0%) year over year and (+1.5%) month over month, an improvement from May’s softer performance. Growth was supported by both transactions (1.8% month over month, +2.7% year over year) and modest price gains, indicating more balanced demand. Food and Beverage Retailers stabilized after prior declines, while other retail categories, such as Sporting Goods, Clothing, and Health and Personal Care, showed improvements, driven primarily by increasing foot traffic.

Restaurants hold steady
Sales edged up (+0.2%) year over year, an improvement from last month’s falling sales. June’s growth remained driven by higher average tickets, which increased (+3.3%) year over year. Foot traffic continued its decline, falling (-3.1%) year over year, though the decrease in transactions slowed from the previous month. Limited-Service Restaurants continued to lag previous years, while Full-Service performance remained comparatively steady, supported by stable demand and pricing.

Easing gasoline prices offer consumers slight relief
Sales at Gasoline Stations increased (+15.3%) year over year, but declined (-4.7%) month over month, with average tickets falling (-3.2%) compared to May, providing consumers some much-needed relief at the pump. Despite easing prices, transaction activity declined both month over month (-1.4%) and year over year (-1.5%), reflecting lower demand in June.

Consumer spending patterns may be starting to rebalance
For the past 18 months, Essentials sales growth outperformed Discretionary, with Essentials average ticket growth remaining significantly higher as well. That gap has narrowed recently, which may be supporting a return to goods spending. In June, Goods sales (largely Discretionary-driven) rose (+3.0%) year over year, driven by (+2.5%) year over year transaction growth. Average tickets increased just (+0.5%) year over year, suggesting consumers are finding value through product selection and price comparison. By contrast, Services, which lean toward Essentials, grew (+2.1%) year over year, but saw transactions decline (-2.7%) year over year on higher average tickets (+4.8%), suggesting that growth still depends on pricing, with fewer low-priced options to choose from.

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