Fiserv Small Business Index Shows YoY Sales Growth in August as Consumers Continue to Spend More on Fewer Visits

Fiserv’s August 2026 Small Business Index shows modest sales growth driven by higher tickets as consumer visits and discretionary foot traffic continue to erode.

Rhea-AI Summary

Fiserv (FISV) reported its August 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index held at 145, with small business sales up 1.3% year over year as consumers spent more per visit but shopped less often.

Average tickets increased 3.0% year over year, offsetting a 1.8% decline in transactions. Restaurant sales were mixed, with Food Services and Drinking Places down 0.3% year over year and Limited-Service Restaurants sales down 2.5%, while Full-Service Restaurants rose 0.9%. Gas Station sales climbed 15.1% year over year on 16.3% higher average tickets, even as transactions fell 1.2%. Total Retail sales rose 0.6% year over year but declined 0.8% month over month. Essentials spending grew 1.8% year over year, roughly double the 0.9% growth in Discretionary categories, as Discretionary foot traffic fell 2.0%. Goods and Services each grew 1.3% year over year, driven by higher traffic for Goods and higher prices for Services.

Market Context

A director purchased 10,000 shares on August 7, adding a recent insider-buying reference for assessi...

Analysis

A director purchased 10,000 shares on August 7, adding a recent insider-buying reference for assessing this index update. The data point supports context rather than confirmation; declining visits and weaker monthly sales remained risks to monitor.

Key Figures

Small Business Index: 145 Small business sales growth: +1.3% Monthly sales change: -0.2% +5 more

8 metrics

Small Business Index 145 August 2026, seasonally adjusted

Small business sales growth +1.3% year over year, August 2026

Monthly sales change -0.2% versus July 2026

Average tickets +3.0% year over year across small businesses

Transactions -1.8% year over year across small businesses

Gas Station sales +15.1% year over year, August 2026

Total Retail sales +0.6% year over year, August 2026

Essentials and Discretionary growth +1.8% and +0.9% year over year, respectively

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Aug 27 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	24h Move	Catalyst
Aug 27	Investor conference	Neutral	+0.3%	Fiserv announced participation in the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference.
Aug 17	Bank partnership	Positive	-4.0%	Flagstar selected Finxact as its next-generation core banking platform.
Aug 06	Q2 earnings	Negative	+0.0%	Fiserv reported lower revenue, earnings, organic growth, and revised 2026 expectations.
Aug 05	AI partnership	Positive	-3.0%	Fiserv partnered with Stuut to automate enterprise receivables and payment workflows.
Aug 05	Core-platform selection	Positive	-3.0%	UW Credit Union selected DNA as its future core processing platform.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Pattern Detected

Recent positive partnership announcements were followed by negative reactions, while the latest conference notice produced a small positive move.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Fiserv Small Business Index remained at 145; year-over-year sales grew +1.3%

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology, has published the Fiserv Small Business Index for August 2026, revealing a continued divide between consumer spending and consumer visits. While small business sales increased 1.3% year over year, foot traffic declined for the tenth consecutive month as consumers spent more per visit and remained selective in where and how often they made purchases.

The seasonally adjusted Fiserv Small Business Index remained at 145 in August. Overall sales rose +1.3% year over year but slipped -0.2% compared to July. Average tickets were up +3.0% year over year, helping offset a -1.8% decline in transactions.

“For many small business categories, August reinforces a trend we’ve seen throughout much of the year: consumers are still spending, but they're making fewer trips and becoming more deliberate with their purchases,” said Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer, Fiserv. “With traffic declining and households continuing to prioritize value, each customer visit matters more for small businesses.”

Key Takeaways

Foot traffic pressure persists across Restaurants
Restaurant spending remained largely flat as fewer visits weighed on growth. Food Services and Drinking Places sales fell -0.3% year over year but grew +0.3% compared to July. Average tickets rose +2.6% year over year, while transactions fell -2.9%. Limited-Service Restaurants saw the steepest decline, with sales down -2.5% year over year as transactions fell -4.2%. Full-Service Restaurants performed better, with sales up +0.9% year over year as visits declined only -0.7%.

Gasoline sales climbed while grocery sales slipped
Gas Station sales rose +15.1% year over year and +1.4% month over month. Average tickets rose +16.3% year over year as oil markets continued to react to geopolitical pressures. Transactions fell -1.2% year over year, a signal that consumers are filling up less often. Food and Beverage Retailer sales softened, with sales down -1.4% year over year and -1.1% month over month. Lower demand and value seeking pushed average grocery tickets down -1.2% year over year.

Retail growth slowed
Total Retail sales rose +0.6% year over year as foot traffic grew +0.7%. However, momentum was challenged month over month, as sales fell -0.8% and foot traffic declined 0.6%. Despite inflation pressures, average tickets have remained nearly flat across Retail this year, suggesting that consumers continue to seek value and manage spending. Gasoline Stations and Building Materials were the only Retail subsectors with growth over July, while year-over-year growth was broadly achieved across many Retail categories.

Essentials again outpaced discretionary spending
Essentials grew +1.8% year over year, about twice the +0.9% growth in Discretionary spending. This was largely due to foot traffic erosion from Discretionary categories (-2.0% year over year) at twice the pace of essentials (-1.0%). Average tickets were up evenly across both areas. Goods and Services each grew +1.3% year over year, but for different reasons. Goods growth came primarily from foot traffic growth of +0.7%, while Services leaned entirely on higher prices. Average tickets for Services grew +3.9% while transactions fell -2.7%.

To access the full Fiserv Small Business Index, visit fiserv.com/FiservSmallBusinessIndex.

About the Fiserv Small Business Index^®

Published in the first week of each month, the Fiserv Small Business Index is based on aggregated consumer spending activity across the U.S. small business economy. Unlike surveys or sentiment data, the Index uses point-of-sale data from card, cash and check transactions made in stores and online at approximately 2 million U.S. small businesses, including hundreds of thousands that use the Clover point-of-sale and business management platform.

Benchmarked to 2019, the Fiserv Small Business Index measures consumer spending and includes a transaction index that tracks customer traffic. A simple interface lets users view data by region, state and business type using North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) categories. With detailed industry classifications, the Index covers 56 standardized level-6 national industries across 26 subsectors and 13 sectors, helping users track sales trends and understand the forces shaping the U.S. small business economy. 

About Fiserv
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a Fortune 500 company, is a global leader uniting commerce and finance. The company powers sustained growth and innovation at scale for financial institutions and businesses worldwide across payments, account processing, digital banking, merchant acquiring, network services, e-commerce, and Clover®, the all-in-one business management platform. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500® Index and one of FORTUNE® America’s Most Innovative Companies. Visit fiserv.com and follow on social media for more information and the latest company news.

For more information contact:

Media Relations:
Chase Wallace
Director, Communications
+1 470-481-2555
chase.wallace@fiserv.com

FAQ

What did the August 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index show for FISV?

The August 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index remained at 145, with overall small business sales up 1.3% year over year. Consumers continued to spend more per visit while making fewer trips, reflected in higher average tickets and lower transaction counts.

How did small business sales and foot traffic change in August 2026 in the Fiserv (FISV) index?

In August 2026, overall small business sales rose 1.3% year over year but slipped 0.2% versus July. Average tickets increased 3.0% year over year, while transactions declined 1.8%, indicating fewer visits but more spending per trip.

What trends did the Fiserv Small Business Index report for restaurants in August 2026?

For August 2026, Food Services and Drinking Places sales fell 0.3% year over year, with tickets up 2.6% and transactions down 2.9%. Limited-Service Restaurants saw sales down 2.5%, while Full-Service Restaurants posted 0.9% sales growth with visits down only 0.7%.

How did gasoline and grocery spending perform in the August 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index?

Gas Station sales rose 15.1% year over year and 1.4% month over month, driven by a 16.3% increase in average tickets as oil markets reacted to geopolitical pressures. Food and Beverage Retailer sales fell 1.4% year over year and 1.1% month over month, with average tickets down 1.2%.

What did the Fiserv (FISV) Small Business Index reveal about retail sales in August 2026?

Total Retail sales in August 2026 grew 0.6% year over year with foot traffic up 0.7%, but sales declined 0.8% month over month and foot traffic dipped 0.6%. Gasoline Stations and Building Materials were the only Retail subsectors with month-over-month growth.

How did essential versus discretionary spending compare in the August 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index?

Essentials spending grew 1.8% year over year, about twice the 0.9% growth in Discretionary spending. Discretionary foot traffic fell 2.0% year over year versus a 1.0% decline for Essentials, while average ticket sizes increased similarly in both categories.

Where can investors access the full August 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index data?

The full August 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index, including detailed sector and spending data, is available at fiserv.com/FiservSmallBusinessIndex as indicated by the company.