"Treatonomics" — a consumer trend that covers spending on 'everyday luxuries' to larger, life-affirming experiences — is booming as people look for a mood boost in ongoing unsettling economic times .

Spending on small-item 'pick-me-ups' is a well-established recession-resistant trend, with consumers often turning to purchases of modest personal items such as make-up, perfume and candles — or even collectible rubber ducks or Labubu dolls — for a morale boost when times are hard or uncertain.

It's no wonder then, that the consumer trend has long been seen as a bellwether for how consumers feel about the wider economic backdrop, which is currently typified by inflationary pressures, persistently high interest rates and concerns over growth and jobs.

The phenomenon is not new; the "lip

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