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Consumers say one thing. Their spending says another.
New research reveals a 40% blind spot between what consumers claim and what they actually buy, and it could be quietly undermining your strategy.
We surveyed 1,000+ Americans about how they spend on restaurants, convenience stores, and apparel. Then we checked their answers against verified transaction data from the Facteus platform.
The gaps weren’t small. They weren’t consistent. And in some categories, they even reversed.
Inside the report:
- Consumers underestimate how often they buy by 30–50%, and overestimate how much they spend by 20–60%
- Where the gender gap is a mirage, and where it's nearly twice as wide as surveys suggest
- How "Millennials vs. Gen Z" looks different when you stop asking and start measuring
- What it all means for sizing markets, benchmarking competitors, and targeting the right audience
