Women are recession-proofing their lifestyle

Women’s shopping and beauty trends indicate a looming recession, fear analysts. A growing number of young women are skipping salon appointments and embracing at-home DIYs to save costs.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google searches for “press on nails” jumped 10% since February, and “blonde to brunette hair” surged 17% as women opt for budget-friendly beauty.

Thrift store shopping has also increased at places like Goodwill and Salvation Army, where 88% of shoppers say they’re driven by a need to save, according to USA Today.

Even mental health spending is getting trimmed. One 25-year-old woman told the Journal she replaced her $200-a-week therapy with ChatGPT.

In high-cost cities like NYC, many females are ditching Uber and Lyft in favor of public transit. They are also ordering less from food delivery apps and shopping for meals at low-cost grocery chains like Trader Joe’s.

Why is it important?
Women made up 60% of general merchandise sales in the past year, according to consumer-analytics research firm Circana. Their spending dropped 1% in the three months ending February, with half that decline from apparel alone.

Several are dialing down their spending amid rising costs, stagnant wages, and tariff threats that could lead to an economic downturn.