Consumer discretionary

There’s a consistent view of the consumer emerging from Australia’s Financial year 2026 (FY26) retail reporting season.

Households haven’t stopped spending, but they’ve become more selective, more value-conscious and increasingly willing to postpone discretionary purchases or wait for promotions and sales.

The pressure is most evident in big-ticket categories like furniture, appliances, and homewares. Nick Scali (ASX:NCK) noted a significant decline in store traffic late in the year; JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH) mentioned that customers are focusing their purchases around major sales; and Temple & Webster (ASX:TPW) said that while browsing continues, customers are delaying their buying decisions. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies, Consumer discretionary, Economics, Editor's Pick, Manufacturing, Market commentary, Market Valuation.

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As I have written many times, Australia’s Household Debt to Disposable Income Ratio has jumped more than fourfold to around 180 per cent over the past 50 years, making us one of the more indebted societies of the 38 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

Preeminent financial journalist of many decades, Robert Gottliebsen, recently argued a 10 per cent decline in house prices was the equivalent to around three 0.25 per cent interest rate increases for the average Australian consumer. continue…

by David Buckland Posted in Consumer discretionary, Economics, Editor's Pick, Energy / Resources.

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Consumer confidence appears to be slowly improving after hitting its lowest level in 53 years in April 2026. While the recent uptrend is encouraging, confidence remains fragile, with household debt, cost-of-living pressures and recent interest rate increases still weighing heavily on consumers. The question now is whether this rebound marks the beginning of a genuine recovery, or simply a modest lift from extremely depressed levels. continue…

by David Buckland Posted in Consumer discretionary, Economics, Editor's Pick, Insightful Insights, Investing Education, Market commentary, Popular.

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I recently joined ABC Newcastle Mornings with Kylie Morris to discuss why households may benefit from reviewing their spending habits, including a simple exercise of separating expenses into “wants” and “needs” to identify potential savings and build a financial buffer.

We also explored how interest rates can act like gravity on asset prices, with higher rates reducing the present value of future cash flows – potentially weighing on shares and other investments.

Finally, we touched on the implications of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom for investors and superannuation (with specific reference to the recent SpaceX IPO), including concerns around supply chain fragility, resource consumption and the growing integration of AI into critical systems.

Tune in from 37:30 here: ABC Newcastle Mornings continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Consumer discretionary, Economics, Investing Education, Market commentary, Radio.

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I joined Kirsten Aiken on ABC The Business to discuss the challenges facing Australia’s retail sector. With higher interest rates slowing the economy and uncertainty around proposed tax changes weighing on consumer confidence, spending has softened across age groups. We explored the pressures facing traditional retailers, the accelerating shift to online shopping, the impact of global competitors, and why department stores such as Myer and David Jones continue to face long-term challenges as consumer habits evolve.

Watch here: Challenges grow for the retail sector, Glue the latest to close. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies, Consumer discretionary, Economics, Editor's Pick, Insightful Insights, Market commentary.

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Warren Buffett once said: “We look for three things when we hire people. We look for intelligence, we look for initiative and we look for integrity. And if they don’t have the latter, the first two will kill you.” continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Consumer discretionary.

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With two supermarket CEO’s facing off against the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in the battle for supermarket reputations, I wonder whether we will see vastly different behaviours from the new heads of Coles (ASX:COL) and Woolworths (ASX:WOW) than what we might typically have expected from their predecessors. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Consumer discretionary, Economics.

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In my recent interview with Ausbiz, I discussed the complex landscape for Australian consumers and the retail sector. While higher income earners are driving spending, lower income groups are tightening their belts, focusing on essentials like utilities and mortgages. Data from UBS and Finder reveals consumer trends remain resilient despite economic uncertainty. Retailers like JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH) and Nick Scali (ASX:NCK) have shown strong performance by gaining market share, particularly through overseas expansion, whereas others, like Harvey Norman (ASX:HVN), have lagged. Looking ahead to Christmas and Black Friday sales, I expect steady spending from wealthier consumers, but a drop among lower-income households, highlighting the challenges ahead for the retail sector.

continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Consumer discretionary, TV Appearances.

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Back in June 24, the picture for Australian consumers was ominously darkening.  While Australia’s major lenders had reported only modest increases in mortgage defaults and house repossessions, data from the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) revealed Australia was on track to record the highest number of collapsed businesses in ten years, with businesses in the building game and in food services bearing the brunt of the impact from consumers ‘zipping up their wallets’. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Consumer discretionary.

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Australia is experiencing a population and demographic transformation, with nearly 50 per cent of our population able to claim at least one parent born overseas. George Tharenou of UBS analysed the implications in his recent report entitled “How will a ‘Big Australia’ impact the economy and the ‘intergenerational contract’?” The report dives deep into the effects of Australia’s population boom on the economy, asset prices, productivity, housing, and superannuation. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Consumer discretionary, Economics, Editor's Pick.

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