Affinity Solutions Expands Retail Monitor Dataset to Better Represent U.S. Consumer Spending

Expanded card base and enhanced methodology strengthen representation of the U.S. population and bring Retail Monitor sector categories into closer alignment with Census

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Affinity Solutions, the leading consumer purchase insights company, today announced a major enhancement to its CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor powered by Affinity Solutions dataset, expanding the underlying card dataset to a sample that accounts for 50% of the U.S. population and introducing an enhanced methodology providing a more representative and consistent view of U.S. consumer retail spend.

Since its launch in November 2023, the Retail Monitor measures the monthly and annual changes in U.S. retail sales, providing a timely view into how and where consumers are spending. Affinity Solutions has expanded the dataset underlying the Retail Monitor from 26 million to 120 million annual cards, substantially increasing the scale available to measure consumer behavior across the U.S.

The expanded card base is paired with a new methodology designed to create a more consistent and representative view of the U.S. consumer from month to month. Affinity Solutions is utilizing new methodology to project its cardholder sample to U.S. demographic benchmarks and represent the approximately 267 million adults in the U.S. That expanded scale also allows the Retail Monitor to report retail sales in dollar terms by sector, alongside the percentage changes it has published since launch, giving businesses and analysts a fuller view of the retail economy.

“Over the past few years, markets, analysts and economists have consistently turned to the Retail Monitor to gain a better understanding of the state of the retail economy and how consumer spending is evolving,” said Mark Mathews, Chief Economist and Executive Director of Research at the National Retail Federation. “By strengthening the methodology behind it and expanding its dataset, our core audience is getting an even more representative and consistent view of consumer spending, and another powerful source of validation alongside traditional economic benchmarks.”

The updated methodology also introduces a Bayesian calibration approach using historical Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MRTS) data. The approach anchors Affinity Solutions’ demographically representative dataset and makes slight adjustments to improve consistency with MRTS while maintaining the timeliness and trend accuracy that underpin Retail Monitor reporting, which has traditionally relied on actual credit and debit card purchase data compiled by Affinity Solutions and does not need to be revised monthly or annually. It also reduces the potential impact of changes in panel composition, resulting in less month-to-month variance.

Additionally, the larger, more representative dataset creates new opportunities for deeper analysis of consumer behavior. As such, marketers can work with Affinity Solutions to use this data for enhanced targeting, campaign measurement and to optimize their existing ad campaigns.

“Consumer behavior is changing quickly, and marketers need a clear, dependable view of where spend is moving and why,” said Jonathan Silver, CEO of Affinity Solutions. “By combining substantially greater scale with stronger demographic representation, we’re making Retail Monitor an even more powerful resource for understanding the U.S. consumer and the retail economy, which can then be used to better inform marketing efforts.”

For more information, please visit: https://www.affinity.solutions/retail-monitor/.

About Affinity Solutions

Affinity Solutions is the leading consumer purchase insights company. We provide a complete view of U.S. and U.K. consumer spending, across and between brands, via exclusive access to fully permissioned data from over 290 million debit and credit cards. Our proprietary AI technology, Comet™, transforms these purchase signals into actionable insights for business and marketing leaders to drive optimal outcomes and build lasting customer relationships. Visit us at www.affinitysolutions.com to discover how we're shaping the future of consumer purchase insights.