ained after reporting higher 2025 sales and a bigger US market share, and Tesla fell after December UK registrations dropped 27%, per the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Why should I care?
For markets: Proof points matter when budgets are tight.
When spending is promotion-driven, investors tend to reward companies that can show real traffic, share gains, or improving unit economics – and punish any sign demand is fading. That can make consumer stocks more reactive to data releases, analyst calls, and regional sales prints than to broad “consumer strength” narratives.
The bigger picture: Efficiency spending is the new growth spending.
If consumers keep trading down, businesses have two levers: sharpen pricing and cut costs. That’s why moves like Anheuser-Busch InBev buying back about half of its US can-plant stake for roughly $3 billion – alongside smaller capacity upgrades – fit the moment. Owning more of the supply chain can reduce bottlenecks and help protect margins when shoppers insist on value.
