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1. More Americans are planning to save or invest their tax refunds this year, at the expense of shopping and home improvement.
The clock is ticking closer to the April 15 tax deadline. The latest CivicScience data among those filing taxes this year finds a majority (51%) reporting they’ve already filed. Meanwhile, 22% haven’t filed, but plan to do so by the end of March. Concerns about filing taxes are prevalent – 48% of consumers say they have concerns about filing their taxes this year – most commonly making a mistake (19%) or not having enough to pay if they owe money (17%).
In alignment with other recent CivicScience studies, new data find a noteworthy shift this March in how consumers who are expecting a tax refund plan to use it – 43% plan to save or invest it, an eight percentage point increase over March 2024. Consumers are also more likely than last year to put their refunds toward paying off existing debts (24%). On the other hand, they’re notably less likely to use their refunds to go shopping, for home improvement, or travel.
Use this Data: CivicScience clients use real-time data like this to anticipate consumer actions before they happen, helping them keep ahead of trends that could impact customer growth and retention.
2. The NFL continues to expand its domination in terms of fan interest as Americans spend more time watching sports overall.
With March Madness kicking into gear, baseball starting up, and NHL and NBA playoffs on the horizon, it’s about to be a busy time in sports. This comes as data show Americans are spending more and more time watching sports over the past few years. The percentage of U.S. adults who watch five or more hours of sports events or coverage per week has increased by eight percentage points since 2019, and respondents are five points more likely to say that watching sports is important to them or a passion of theirs.
Examining following interest by league (among the big four) over the past three years, the NFL has widened its considerable lead over its counterparts. After early season woes, the NBA has also gained interest so far in 2025. The percentage of respondents who follow either MLB or the NHL, meanwhile, has remained relatively steady.
Cast your Vote: Which is your favorite season for watching sports?
3. Close to one-third of Americans say they’ve either already tried or plan to try prebiotic soda amid PepsiCo’s acquisition of Poppi.
Prebiotic soda took the spotlight last week, thanks to the $1.65 billion PepsiCo paid to acquire the prebiotic soda brand Poppi. The latest CivicScience data show one in three U.S. adults have either already tried a prebiotic soda or plan to try one. There are notable differences across age groups, however. More than one-quarter of Gen Z and Millennial respondents say they have tried a prebiotic soda, while more than 75% of Gen X and Baby Boomers say they are not interested or have never heard of prebiotic sodas before.
Join the Conversation: Do you think the prebiotic soda trend will last?
