208. Consumer Debt to Impact US Restaurant Industry

The Restaurant Report

Even with rampant inflation and rapidly accelerating interest rates, household borrowing climbed to start 2022 and hit a new record, the Federal Reserve reported Tuesday.
Consumer debt and credit rose 1.7% in the first quarter to $15.84 trillion. The rise in total household credit was propelled largely by a $250 billion increase in mortgage debt, which now stands at $11.18 trillion, an increase of 10% from the first quarter in 2021.
Consumers are returning to their previous habits with the balance between goods and services (Restaurants and dining out) spending back to where it stood in May 2020, according to data adjusted for inflation from Flexport, a freight forwarder. A separate metric cited by Goldman Sachs shows goods consumption about 5 percent higher from before the pandemic.
Follow the Amazon TrendsInvestment firms noted that macro indicators appear to be deteriorating at a faster pace in a significant development for Amazon (AMZN).
"The resulting negative sentiment across both consumers and businesses is likely to result in more cautious spending patterns, with headwinds worsening as the economic slowdown deepens. For consumers, that means less discretionary spend on pricier physical goods and more price sensitivity to service items like dining out."
Will China boost spending with a Digital Yuan airdrop?
The airdrop is a joint effort between the city of Shenzhen and Meituan Dianping, China's leading food delivery app. As per instructions, users would need to first log in to the Meituan app, sign up for the incentive, and then potentially receive the e-CNY rewards as part of a lottery draw.
If chosen, the e-CNY is then dispensed to users and can be spent at more than 15,000 in-app merchant terminals that accept the state-owned digital currency. Previously, the People's Bank of China had identified the e-CNY as a potential tool for advancing regional economies and improving the efficiency of select financial services. Meanwhile, sources at Meituan say that the e-CNY plays a vital role in boosting spending and revitalizing local businesses. Shenzhen is also currently one of three cities in China where residents can pay municipal taxes and charges with the e-CNY.