Fiserv(US:FI) Businesswire·2025-12-03 13:30Core Insights - Fiserv, Inc. reported a slight decline in the Fiserv Small Business Index for November 2025, dropping to 142, with year-over-year sales increasing by 0.8% despite a 0.7% decline in transactions compared to 2024 [1] - The holiday shopping season showed strong early gains, particularly during Black Friday, but overall retail momentum slowed afterward, with small business sales falling by 2.1% on Saturday [1] - Spending patterns indicate consumers are prioritizing essentials over discretionary items, with essential spending growing by 2.1% year-over-year while discretionary sales saw a muted growth of -0.1% [1] Small Business Sales Trends - Thanksgiving Day saw Core Retail sales increase by 3.9%, contributing to an overall retail growth of 1.9%, while Black Friday maintained strong growth across Core Retail (3.1%) and Restaurants (2.9%) [1] - Retail sales were down 1.1% year-over-year in November, attributed to a significant decrease in average ticket size by 2.3%, despite a 1.1% increase in foot traffic [1] - The only retail categories showing annual sales growth were General Merchandise and Sporting Goods, with increases of 2.3% and 3.3%, respectively [1] Restaurant Sector Performance - Small business restaurant sales were nearly flat at -0.1% year-over-year, with foot traffic declining by 1.7% while average tickets grew by 1.6% [1] - Limited-Service restaurants outperformed Full-Service establishments, with annual growth of 0.4% compared to a decline of 0.7% for Full-Service [1] Consumer Spending Behavior - Total goods sales declined by 0.5% year-over-year, while services experienced a growth of 1.4% [1] - The data indicates a shift in consumer behavior towards lower-cost options and essential goods, reflecting a pragmatic approach to spending during the holiday season [1]