{"id":833504,"date":"2025-04-03T09:14:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T13:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/small-business-sales-spring-forward-in-march-fiserv-small-business-index-reports\/"},"modified":"2025-04-03T09:14:02","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T13:14:02","slug":"small-business-sales-spring-forward-in-march-fiserv-small-business-index-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/small-business-sales-spring-forward-in-march-fiserv-small-business-index-reports\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Business Sales Spring Forward in March, Fiserv Small Business Index Reports"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Small Business Sales Spring Forward in March, Fiserv Small Business Index Reports<\/b><\/p>\n

Fiserv Small Business Index rises 3 points to 150<\/i><\/p>\n

U.S. small business sales grew +5.5% year over year and +1.8% month over month<\/i><\/p>\n

MILWAUKEE–(BUSINESS WIRE<\/a>)–Fiserv, Inc.<\/a> (NYSE: FI), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology, has published the Fiserv Small Business Index<\/a> for March 2025, with the seasonally-adjusted Index rising three points to 150, a notable acceleration from February. Growth was driven by strong demand for services and increasing restaurant foot traffic, even as restaurant spending declined.\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cU.S. consumers spent locally despite the economic narrative,\u201d said Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer, Fiserv. \u201cMarch small business sales improved from February with a shift in consumer spending away from retail and into services and non-discretionary spending.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\nOn a year-over-year basis, small business sales (+5.5%) and total transactions (+6.7%) continued to show healthy growth. Month-over-month sales (+1.8%) and transactions (+2.3%) also accelerated. Adjusting for inflation, sales grew (+3.0%) year-over-year and (+1.5%) month-over-month.\n<\/p>\n

Services Surge with Professional Services Leading Growth<\/b><\/p>\n

\nSales at service-based businesses grew (+6.2%) year-over-year. The fastest-growing service categories were Hospitals (+26.3%), Information (+11.7%), Professional Services (+11.5%), and Truck Transportation (+11.4%). In contrast to last March, Amusement, Gambling and Recreation (-3.3%), Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (-2.1%), and Accommodation (-0.1%) all declined year-over-year.\n<\/p>\n

\nCompared to February 2025, Information (+10.9%), Insurance (+7.1%), and Rental and Leasing (+7.1%) services were the fastest-growing categories. The only category to decline was Repair and Maintenance Services (-0.1%).\n<\/p>\n

Restaurant Foot Traffic Continues to Grow<\/b><\/p>\n

\nConsumer spending at small business restaurants declined (-0.6%) year-over-year despite transactions (or foot traffic) growing (+7.9%); the inverse relationship is driven by lower average ticket sizes (-8.5%) compared to 2024, continuing a trend that has persisted over the past quarter.\n<\/p>\n

\nOn a month-over-month basis, total restaurant sales (+2.7%) and transactions (+1.8%) grew. Average tickets (+1.0%) increased slightly compared to February.\n<\/p>\n

Retail Growth Cools as Consumers Shift Priorities<\/b><\/p>\n

\nSmall business retail sales (+3.2%) and transactions (+3.6%) grew year-over-year, led by General Merchandise (+11.4%), Furniture (+6.7%) and Building Materials and Garden Supply (+6.1%). Gasoline Stations (-3.0%) were the only retail category to see a year-over-year sales decline, a result of lower fuel prices (-4.8%).\n<\/p>\n

\nOn a monthly basis, Retail sales were nearly flat (-0.1%) following a strong month of growth in February. Average tickets (-1.9%) were also lower in March as uncertainty may be driving some to be more budget-conscious. The most significant acceleration of sales growth came from General Merchandise (+1.9%), Building Materials\/Garden Supply (+1.6%) and Grocery (+1.2%). Sales slowed across Furniture, Motor Vehicle Parts, and Sporting Goods.\n<\/p>\n

Regional Trends<\/b><\/p>\n