Fiserv launches index to track small business spending By Investing.com

BROOKFIELD, Wis. – Fiserv (NYSE:), Inc. (NYSE: FISV), a prominent provider of financial services technology, has introduced the Fiserv Small Business Index™, a novel barometer for assessing the health of small businesses in the United States. This index, which will be updated monthly, offers insights into consumer spending patterns across approximately 2 million U.S. small businesses.

The Fiserv Small Business Index stands out by directly compiling consumer spending data from a range of transactions, including card, cash, and check payments, both in physical stores and online. This approach provides a more immediate and factual representation of small business activity compared to traditional surveys or sentiment-based indices.

Frank Bisignano, Chairman, President, and CEO of Fiserv, highlighted the significance of small businesses, which contribute 44% of U.S. GDP and nearly half of the nation’s jobs. The index is designed to deliver swift and comprehensive intelligence that reflects the actual consumer spending within this crucial sector of the economy.

The index is calibrated against data from 2019, offering a numeric value that measures consumer spending alongside a transaction index that tracks customer traffic. Users can filter this data by region, state, and business type according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

For December 2023, the Fiserv Small Business Index indicated a slight increase in consumer spending at small businesses. The index rose to 138, marking a 0.6% monthly and 2.6% annual uptick in spending. Notable gains were observed in sectors such as restaurants, clothing, and ambulatory healthcare services.

The Food Services and Drinking Places category experienced a robust performance in December, with a six-point jump from November to an index of 128. This reflects a 4.9% monthly and 3.1% annual increase in sales. Additionally, customer visits showed a growth of roughly 2.0% both month-over-month and year-over-year.

Retail’s national index remained steady at 142, with a slight 0.3% decrease in sales from November but a 1.6% increase compared to the previous year. The Clothing/Accessories/Shoes/Jewelry subsector, in particular, saw sales climb by 6.1% from November and 5% from December of the prior year.

The Fiserv Small Business Index is accessible through the company’s website, providing users with a user-friendly interface to analyze the data.

This information is based on a press release statement from Fiserv, Inc.

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