Fiserv Small Business Index Rises 2.3% in October

Spending per transaction rises 3.5% despite foot traffic decline

Sales grew 0.3 percent month-over-month in October 2026, driven by a 3.5 percent increase in average spending per transaction. This rise in per-customer spending helped offset a 1.2 percent year-over-year decline in foot traffic.

The decline in foot traffic marked the 12th consecutive month of drops, though it was the smallest decrease reported since February 2026. Foot traffic also rose 0.5 percent month-over-month, according to the transaction index that monitors customer activity.

Gasoline stations lead retail growth with 23.2% increase

Total retail sales climbed 1.9 percent year-over-year, according to data from November 3, 2026. This growth was primarily driven by gasoline stations, which saw a 23.2 percent increase, alongside sporting goods, hobby, music and bookstores at 4.3 percent, and motor vehicle and parts dealers at 3.0 percent.

Gasoline station sales recorded their fastest growth pace of 2026, supported by a 22.3 percent rise in average transaction tickets. Conversely, sales for furniture, home furnishings, electronics and appliances declined by 2.5 percent.

Grocery store sales remained flat at 0.0 percent year-over-year. While transaction volume for groceries grew by 1.0 percent, average spending per ticket decreased by 1.1 percent.

Food services and drinking places reported a 0.5 percent decline in year-over-year sales, though they saw a 0.2 percent increase month-over-month. Limited-service restaurants experienced a 0.8 percent monthly sales increase, even as they remained down 2.2 percent year-over-year with a 4.0 percent drop in transactions.

Full-service restaurants saw a 0.5 percent year-over-year increase, while drinking places rose by 3.7 percent. Transactions across all food and drinking establishments fell by 2.7 percent year-over-year, an improvement from the 3.9 percent decline recorded in September, while average ticket sizes grew by 2.2 percent.

Services growth edges past goods at 2.3% year-over-year

Services growth outpaced goods in October, with services rising 2.3 percent year-over-year compared to 2.2 percent for goods. Professional services sales grew by 4.6 percent, a performance led by an 18.6 percent increase in tax preparation services.

Essentials spending grew by 2.7 percent year-over-year, maintaining a lead over discretionary spending, which grew by 2.0 percent. Service-sector foot traffic fell by 2.4 percent year-over-year, though average ticket sizes rose by 4.8 percent.

Goods growth relied on a 2.1 percent increase in transaction volume. Average ticket sizes for goods remained nearly flat, with a marginal increase of 0.2 percent.

Fiserv stock rises 13.67% on November 3

Fiserv Inc. Fiserv Inc. (FISV) stock price rose 13.67 percent to $59.03 during the session on November 3, 2026. The stock had increased 12.55 percent over the previous month.

It recorded a median move of 1.4 percent in either direction.

Index methodology tracks 2 million U.S. small businesses

The Fiserv Small Business Index is a monthly data release regarding small business spending trends rather than a report on the company's own financial results. It is benchmarked to 2019 and uses point-of-sale data from approximately 2 million U.S. small businesses.

This data includes transactions made by cash, card, and check, as well as those using the Clover platform.