American consumers are in a dour mood these days.

America's Research Group founder and CEO Britt Beemer said his surveys show that 27 percent of consumers plan to cut back on spending because of the pressure they're feeling from credit card bills. Just 16 percent said that a year ago.

Beemer told a Florida retail group that only 28 percent of shoppers feel "really confident" today, compared with 36 percent two months ago and 54 percent a year ago.

He said those sentiments could be bad news for retailers. According to Beemer, there could be a decline of 10-to-16 percent in shopping during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday.

Memorial Day shopping was down from 8 percent on the West Coast to 11 percent on the East Coast, according to ARG findings reported by Online Magazine Furniture World.

The magazine reported that gas prices are having an impact on shoppers, with 36 percent of them going to stores nearest their home. That number was 28 percent two months ago.