Fiserv Small Business Index Shows Small Business Sales Rise in September as Back-to-School Lifts Retail
Key Highlights
- ➤September small-business sales rose 2.2% year over year, strongest annual gain since June
- ➤Retail sales increased 3.0% year over year, matching June’s high
- ➤Average tickets rose 4.2% year over year as transactions fell 2.0%
- ➤Gas station sales surged 21.1% year over year as inflation drove higher spending
- ➤Food Services sales declined 1.0% year over year amid a 3.9% transaction drop
Expert Statements
Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer of Fiserv
“September’s results reflect the resilience of consumers and small businesses, but also the trade-offs households are making as they manage higher costs.”
Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer of Fiserv
“Spending remains deliberate, with consumers shifting dollars among categories to meet immediate needs while pulling back elsewhere.”
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 05, 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 September 2026, showing that back-to-school demand helped lift small business sales even as consumers continued to make fewer shopping trips. September sales rose +2.2% year over year and +0.7% month over month, the strongest annual gain since June.
Consumers who had been pulling back on discretionary purchases opened their wallets for back-to-school necessities in September. Retail foot traffic returned, clothing sales strengthened, sporting goods surged and grocery spending rebounded, even as restaurant visits declined and higher prices continued to shape spending across other categories.
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