• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, March 24, 2023

The type of article topics being queried and read across Taboola’s network will give brands insight into the state of mind of consumers. Despite rising interest rates, new data from Taboola shows consumers are less concerned about inflation, but they will continue to budget and watch their spending.

The Taboola data, based on news readership trends, is tied to the economy and reveals that consumers have concerns over inflation.

Despite rising costs, news readership for articles about inflation dropped by 40% during the past 45 days, suggesting “inflation fatigue.”

Consumer interest about saving skyrocketed by 491%, hinting that people are increasingly tuned into saving and spending habits.

Readership about dollar stores rose by 90%. Despite decreased interest in article about inflation, many consumers will keep a budget-conscious mentality.

This aligns with highlights from a January 2023 report from Coresight Research that estimates more than one-fifth of survey respondents buy food from a dollar store.

During the past 45 days, interest in articles about bargains rose 114%, dollar stores 90%, deals 44%, and sales 20%.

The data amplifies research from a Wall Street Journal-NORC poll released Friday that shows the skepticism about the economy, value of a college degree, and record low levels of happiness.

The WSJ-NORC poll surveyed 1,019 adults from March 1 to 13, around the time of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and turmoil in the financial industry. Roughly 4 in 10 cited healthcare and housing costs as big worries, and nearly two-thirds said inflation is a major concern.

The survey, which measures social attitudes, showed pervasive economic pessimism underpins Americans’ dim hopes for the future. Four in five respondents described the state of the economy as not so good or poor, and nearly half said they expect it will get worse in the next year.