In “The New Checkout: Crimped Consumers Lean Into Online Retail and Digital Wallets,” PYMNTS Intelligence finds that financial pressure is reshaping shopping behavior in ways that go beyond broad spending trends. The most revealing signal is at the retailer level.

Consumers under financial stress are becoming more deliberate. They are leaning toward merchants that signal value, moving more grocery activity online and turning to digital wallets as a practical budgeting tool rather than a novelty.

Walmart stands out as one of the clearest winners among consumers facing the most strain. Among online grocery shoppers under high financial stress, 56% made their most recent purchase at Walmart, versus 50% of low-stress shoppers.

In stores, the gap is even more striking: 37% of high-stress grocery shoppers last bought at Walmart, compared with 26% of low-stress shoppers. Dollar Tree also gains ground among stressed in-store retail shoppers, reinforcing the idea that shoppers are actively seeking merchants tied to lower prices and tighter control over spending.

Spending More Per Trip

At the same time, the report suggests that pressure does not always mean smaller baskets. In fact, stressed consumers often spend more per trip. Their last grocery purchase averaged $109, compared with $95 for low-stress shoppers. Their last retail purchase averaged $111, versus $88. In online retail, the gap widened sharply, with high-stress shoppers spending an average of $169, compared with $96 for low-stress consumers.

The data point to a more planned style of shopping, where households may be consolidating purchases, stocking up when they find the right prices, or using digital channels to avoid repeated trips and extra delivery costs.

• 56% of high-stress online grocery shoppers made their most recent purchase at Walmart, compared with 50% of low-stress shoppers. In stores, Walmart’s share was 37% among high-stress grocery shoppers versus 26% among low-stress consumers.
• High-stress consumers spent $109 on their last grocery purchase and $111 on their last retail purchase, compared with $95 and $88 for low-stress shoppers. In online retail alone, the figures were $169 versus $96.
• High-stress online retail shoppers were 34% less likely to buy from Amazon than low-stress shoppers, yet they were nearly three times as likely to buy from Target. That suggests value messaging is landing differently across retailers.

The encouraging takeaway is that consumers are not standing still. They are adapting to ever-changing economic realities. The report shows more online grocery buying among financially stressed households, stronger use of digital wallets and a growing tendency to match shopping trips with merchants and payment methods that offer more visibility and flexibility.

High-stress consumers were more than twice as likely as low-stress consumers to use digital wallets for their last grocery and retail purchases, and wallet use keeps rising, especially among younger shoppers.

For retailers and payments players, that creates a clear opening. Consumers are showing exactly what they value: sharper pricing, easier planning and payment experiences that help them stay in control.