People shop for production in a Walmart in Rosemade, California on 11 April 2025.
Frederick J. Brown | AFP | Getty images
According to the New Lending Tree Data, the increasing number of Americans is later paying loans to buy grocery items, and more people are paying those bills late. Released on Friday,
Statistics are the latest indicators that some Consumers are breaking Under the pressure of an uncertain economy and the essential things like grocery items are having trouble completing them because they constantly struggle with inflation, high interest rates and Axis around tariff,
In a survey of 2,000 US consumers on 2-3 April in a survey between 18 and 79 years of age, about half of the people now reported to buy, paid the latter services. Of those consumers, 25% of the respondents said they were using BNPL loans to buy groceries, from 14% in 2024 and 21% in 2023, the firm said.
Meanwhile, 41% of the respondents said that they paid late on BNPL loan in the last year, before 34% in the year, found in the survey.
Matt Shulz, the chief consumer finance analyst of the Lending Tree, said that among the respondents who said that they paid the BNPL bill late, most said it was not more than a week.
“Many people are struggling and looking for ways to expand their budget,” Shulz said. “Inflation is still a problem. Interest rates are still really high. There is a lot of uncertainty around tariffs and other economic issues, and it is all going to add many people who are looking for ways to expand their budget, although they can.”
“For a terrible people, this means that now bend when you buy, pay the loan later, for better or worse,” he said.
He stopped calling the results of recession indicators, but said that the situation is expected to decline further before it improves.
“I think it’s going to deteriorate, at least in the short term,” Shulz said. “I don’t know that there is a lot of expecting these numbers to be better in the near period.”
Loans, which allow consumers to divide purchases in multiple small payments, are one Popular option for credit card Because they often do not charge interest. But consumers can see High fees if they pay lateAnd they can participate in problems if they pile up multiple loans. In a survey of the lending tree, 60% BNPL users said they have several loans simultaneously, almost one fourth said that they have held three or more at once.
“It is really important that people be cautious when using these things, because even though they can actually be a good interest-free tool, to help you make it from one salary to the next, there is a lot of risk in mismanagement,” Shulz said. “So people should walk lightly.”
The conclusions of the lending tree come after Billboard disclosure About 60% of the general entry Kachela attendees now funded with purchasing their concert tickets, later paid the loan, provoked a debate on the economy status and how consumers are using loans to maintain their lifestyle. A recent announcement of Doardash that this will happen Start accepting BNPL financing from Clarna Widely jokes and jokes for food delivery that Americans were struggling so much that they were now being forced to finance cheeseburgers and Burtitos.
Over the years, consumers have also held relatively well in front of inflation and high interest rates, as the job market was strong and wage increased with inflation – at least for at least some workers.
Earlier this year, however, including big companies Wal-mart And Delta Airlines Started warning that dynamic shifts were being started and they were watching cracks in demand, which was getting worse than poor sales forecasts.
