Consumer Spending Is Up, And It’s Not Only Thanks to Vaccines

Consumer Spending Is Up, And It’s Not Only Thanks to Vaccines

A new report of April spending from market-research firm Cardify.ai found that those who don’t plan to get the vaccine were more likely to leave their homes and go to restaurants, salons and entertainment venues than vaccinated Americans.

Here's What You Need to Remember: Motor vehicle and parts sales were up 2.9 percent and 3 percent at restaurants and bars for April, a smooth increase after the industry was hit hard during the pandemic, as social distancing measures forced millions of eateries to permanently shutter.

A successful March retail sales report fueled speculations that the rapid coronavirus vaccination rollout was accelerating America’s economic recovery, as vaccinated consumers felt more comfortable shopping in-person and eating at bars and restaurants.

But a new report of April spending from market-research firm Cardify.ai found that those who don’t plan to get the vaccine were more likely to leave their homes and go to restaurants, salons and entertainment venues than vaccinated Americans.

Those who have received a vaccine are “proceeding with cautious optimism,” Derrick Fung, chief executive of Cardify, said. “They’re still not really comfortable doing live entertainment where there’s crowds of people.”

Fung added that people who haven’t been inoculated are “the ones leading the charge,” since they were already more lenient with virus-related restrictions and relaxed on resuming a normal lifestyle again. The firm’s findings were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Consumer spending at entertainment venues among those who don’t plan on getting the vaccine increased 20 percent in April compared to January 2020, and the same spending rose just 10 percent among vaccinated people during the same time period, according to Cardify.

Nearly 1,600 consumers participated in Cardify’s survey, using the platform Drop to note whether they have been vaccinated with at least one dose or not.

Cardify’s findings indicate that a swift economic recovery hasn’t been driven by surges in Americans getting the vaccine. Analysts noted, however, that as more people in the U.S. get vaccinated and daily cases decrease, vaccinated consumers will be more likely to engage in crowded activities.

The seven-day average of vaccinations hit nearly 1.7 million doses administered per day, a significant decrease from when the average reached more than 3.3 million doses administered per day last month, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. But the country has seen a massive drop in the number of reported infections each day, as the CDC said that the seven-day average of cases hit a low of roughly 22,000, a level that hasn’t been seen since June 2020.

March’s retail sales report was followed by a disappointing report for April, where the Commerce Department unveiled that sales held at the same pace from one month earlier. 

Motor vehicle and parts sales were up 2.9 percent and 3 percent at restaurants and bars for April, a smooth increase after the industry was hit hard during the pandemic, as social distancing measures forced millions of eateries to permanently shutter.

The positive economic signs were set back with reduced spending in several sectors, such as clothing and accessories, furniture and home improvement, gardening, sporting goods and general merchandise stores.

Rachel Bucchino is a reporter at the National Interest. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and The Hill. This article first appeared earlier this year.

Image: Reuters.