Numerator: QSR Prices Have Risen 53.1% Since 2018
The research firm also noted that 40.5% of survey respondents identified rising prices as their top concern for the coming year.
Sep 21, 2026 | 2 min read
In August, prices for everyday goods were up 2.2% versus a year ago, according to research firm Numerator. However, prices were down from 2.6% in July “as annual inflation cooled in August,” continuing July’s trend of decelerating year-over-year price growth, the firm said. Numerator also noted that prices for everyday household goods are up 33.2% since January 2018.
According to the research, prices for everyday household purchases decreased 0.1% in August following a 0.4% decrease in July and a 0.6% increase in June.
However, inflation isn’t affecting all groups equally: low-income and Gen Z consumers continue to experience higher levels of inflation for everyday household goods, as prices have increased 34.9% and 38.8%, respectively, for those groups since January 2018 vs. the 33.2% national average.
“Low-income and Gen Z consumers are experiencing higher inflation in part because they spend more on quick-service restaurants than the average consumer. Quick-service restaurant prices have increased 53.1% since January 2018, well above the 33.2% rise across the overall consumer basket,” Numerator wrote.
Regionally, the inflation gap closed in July between the South, West and Midwest; however, the Northeast continues to see the smallest cumulative price increase of the four regions.
“Inflation may be cooling, but consumers aren’t feeling much relief. In Numerator’s August 2026 Economic Sentiment Tracker of over 2,000 U.S. consumers, 40.5% identified rising prices as their top concern for the coming year, surpassing the previous record high reached in May 2026,” the research firm concluded.
