The Commerce Department released its report on November retail sales yesterday. They rose by the largest amount in six months. Despite loss of home value, and a 3.2% increase in wholesale prices, along with increasing gas, heating oil, and food prices, American's keep spending.
While economists seemed mystified, we at ACO know the answer. Addiction.
Yup. Americans are addicted to spending money. Its the country's number one recreational activity, and Christmas is the Olympics!
Expecting them to stop now is like...well...impossible. At this point in the Christmas cycle we're getting those folks who, when you ask them, say they have their shopping done...but don't want to miss anyone, or a good deal. We suspect its the missed good deal that haunts them most. For instance, just last weekend a gentleman purchased one of those previously mentioned Denali Jackets and announced that he was done. We congratulated him and told him that he'd finished up just in time, stores were starting to run out of things. Boris then related how during a lunch time mission out in the mall he'd run across a fight over a pair of UGG boots.
The gentleman was unfamiliar with the boots, but after we told him that we had one pair left, he bought them. And was noticeably happy. Did he picture himself crossing the line with the boots raised high overhead?
And if shopping is an addiction, I guess that puts us at ACO in the enabler corner...but have I mentioned there is now a K2 Enemy in the house? It went on sale two weeks ago and I couldn't resist. My name is Kelly and I too am a shopper.
No comments:
Post a Comment