Sucharita Kodali and Owen Carr dissect the U.S. consumer landscape, noting a peculiar divergence: declining confidence juxtaposed with robust spending. They observe a shift towards lower-priced goods, especially in e-commerce, while "buy now, pay later" schemes see explosive growth. Both eye 2026, with Carr predicting a strong start despite underlying concerns about deferred payments, and Kodali emphasizing the importance of retail performance from companies like Walmart (WMT), Costco (COST), Amazon (AMZN), and Ulta Beauty (ULTA) as key indicators of consumer health.