Fewer people are walking through your door. That has been true every single month since last October.
But the ones who do show up? They are spending more than ever.
That is the central finding from the Fiserv Small Business Index for May 2026, released June 3rd. Fiserv tracks real transaction data from hundreds of thousands of small businesses across the country - this is not a survey or a forecast. It is what is actually happening at the register.
Here is what the data shows for May:
- Foot traffic fell -2.4% year-over-year - the seventh consecutive month of decline
- Average ticket size rose +3.1% year-over-year - customers spending significantly more per visit
- Overall sales grew +0.7% year-over-year - positive territory, held up entirely by that ticket increase
Let that sink in. The only reason small business sales are still growing right now is that customers are spending more when they visit. If ticket sizes were flat, you would be looking at a revenue decline.
So What Is Actually Happening?
Think about how you shop in 2026. You research online before you go anywhere. You know what you want, approximately what it costs, and which store near you has it. When you show up in person, you are not browsing - you are buying.
That is what the data is describing. The casual window-shopper has largely moved to online browsing. The people still coming into physical stores are arriving with more intent, and spending more per trip.
This is the "fewer but better" customer pattern. And for small business owners, it is genuinely good news - but only if your strategy matches it.
What This Means for Your Store
If you are still running your marketing like the goal is to maximize the number of people who walk through your door, the data says you need to rethink that.
The strategies that still make sense:
Running a flash sale or social post that says "come in this weekend" drives foot traffic - but low-intent foot traffic. Those people are more likely to browse and leave. They are not the ones padding your ticket average.
The strategies that now matter more:
- Email and text to existing customers. They already know you, already trust you, and are statistically more likely to spend when they visit. That is your high-intent audience.
- Google Business Profile upkeep. When someone searches "shoe repair near me" or "boutique gift shop downtown," they have already decided to go somewhere. They are choosing between you and your competitor. Your profile, hours, photos, and reviews are the deciding factor.
- Bundling and upsells at the point of sale. The customer in front of you right now is worth more than the data from last year suggests. They came in to buy. Make sure your team and your layout help them find the rest of what they need.
- Online reservations or consultations. If your business can support it - appointment-based retail, design consultations, personal shopping - this is the format that matches the high-intent shopper. They plan the visit in advance and spend more during it.
The Retail Categories Under Most Pressure
The May data showed retail sales up just +0.1% year-over-year - barely positive. Services businesses did significantly better, with ticket sizes up +4.2% in that category.
The gap matters. If you sell physical products, the margin for error is thinner. Foot traffic trends are working against you. The businesses surviving this environment are the ones leaning into experience, curation, and service-layer additions - things that justify the trip in a way that a product-only model no longer can.
One Number to Watch
The Fiserv index is updated on the 2nd of every month. The May number came out June 3rd. Bookmark fiserv.com/en/insights/small-business-index-resources and check it monthly. It is one of the clearest real-time pictures of what is actually happening at small business registers across the country.
Right now it is telling you: the people coming in are worth more. Make sure you are ready for them.
Sources: Fiserv Small Business Index May 2026, published June 3, 2026. Fiserv Small Business Index resource hub.