Fiserv Small Business Index Shows Sales Momentum Heading into Holiday Season
Key Highlights
- ➤Small-business sales rose 2.3% year over year, strongest gain since July 2025
- ➤Fiserv Small Business Index reached 146 as spending and traffic improved
- ➤Gas station sales jumped 23.2% year over year, fastest growth pace in 2026
- ➤Professional services sales grew 4.6%, led by tax preparation’s 18.6% increase
- ➤Furniture, home furnishings, electronics and appliances sales fell 2.5% year over year
Expert Statements
Prasanna Dhore, Chief data officer, Fiserv
“Small businesses are entering the holiday season with encouraging momentum on both spending and customer activity.”
Prasanna Dhore, Chief data officer, Fiserv
“October’s monthly sales gains come from more purchases, not larger tickets. Sustaining that momentum as holiday shopping accelerates will be the next signal to watch.”
MILWAUKEE, Nov. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology, today published the Fiserv Small Business Index for October 2026, showing encouraging momentum for small businesses as the holiday season gets underway. Sales rose +2.3% year over year, the strongest year-over-year gain since July 2025, and +0.3% month over month.
The Index reached 146 as higher spending per transaction and improving traffic trends supported sales momentum. Average spending per transaction rose +3.5% year over year. Foot traffic declined -1.2%, its 12th consecutive year-over-year decline but the smallest since February 2026. It rose +0.5% month over month.
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