Posted on 12/04/2004 9:54:58 AM PST by snowsislander
I think he is right on the money. It rings true here, the textile industry has dried up 40% this last year in town. Honduras and China have taken up the slack.
But we are a consumer society like it or not. If people aren't buying the whole thing collapses.
Notice they never measure the economy on how much people are saving or how little debt everyone is in or how much government spending on social programs has been cut. It seems the only yardstick is the consumer index --- how much spending takes place.
I have relatives who were thrilled to get one homemade doll and an orange for Christmas gifts back in the depression. One got a Lionel train set back in the 30's which still runs today. Most of the Chinese made crap people buy today might last for 2 months if they're lucky --- and people waste tons of money on gifts that are soon thrown away --- plastic cheap toys that never worked or break after the third time of use.
I'm for getting back to quality versus quantity --- but a lot of stock holders and importers won't like that.
"Most folks are debted out and are cutting back"
Not true...
There, that is equal time...
Jupiter,FL east coast
Same here you can barely find a parking place at Walmart.
online retailers continue to gain market share. you have to watch the shippers -- and not just their profit, which high fuel prices can kill -- but their volume. UPS added 70,000 seasonals this year, up 20,000 over last year.
Same thing in my part of Florida. Walmart parking lot was completely full and traffic was backed up onto the main drag when I drove by today. Maybe people are shopping a little later this year because of the few extra shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Maybe you all are in economic recession, but Fairbanks, Alaska is crazy with people piling into stores. They can hardly ship the cheap Chinese merchandise in fast enough. Of course, Fairbanks is also the fourth most dangerous metropolitan area in the US now. We have everything in abundance thanks to military spending and fantastic oil prices. Whatever you are doing, international unrest and new SUVs everywhere so you can't see the pavement between them, keep it up.
Maybe you should read the article. You are suggesting the article is a lie? The source by the way is the WSJ.
There, that is equal time...
LOL...
>I'm for getting back to quality versus quantity<
There you have it, meaning manufactured in the good ole US of A. I still have the Lionel Train my brother got in 1940
packed away in the attic. Wouldn't part with it for anything, God rest his soul.
Just try to find anything not made in China - As I've said before, we are furnishing them with the ammunition and their guns are aimed right at us. NAFTA, GAT, WTO gave us our economic death knoll
Reporting standards are the key. Is an Internet purchase considered a sale?
Do you really think that WallyWorld is NOT reporting total sales when they say "sales"?
You think they hide the Internet purchases when issuing SEC-sensitive statements?
Oh, they measure savings all right. Go to MGB Information Services and scroll down the left-hand column.
There are NO savings to speak of.
Ummmnhhh..."unemployment" is a very tricky number.
Note, for example, that no matter HOW many jobs are "added" in BLS stats, the unemployment rate stays at 5%.
Curious, no?
Well, Lionel went banko about a month ago.
that is it exactly. the retail spending patterns tell us what is going on in the jobs market. high end stores are up double digits, "regular" stores are flat and down. we have an economy where wages and wealth are becoming more concentrated, while solid middle class jobs flee offshore and are replaced by service jobs. the "extra cash" from the re-fi boom is done, rates are headed up.
indeed, that's what the retailers want. they want to sell you chinese junk at a profit, that you have to re-purchase again and again.
given the structure of our economy today, you help the US economy more by giving a gift certificate for the Outback Steakhouse they you do buying some made in china item from a retailer or QVC.
The oil spike has allot to de with low-income consumers backing off of spending.
Exactly. I come from a very large family and we are giving more and more gift certificates every Christmas.
I'm wouldn't be surprised if they are taking a huge bite out of the holiday sales figures.
Australian?
within a few percentage points. I'm not ever sure it's 5 -even now. Don't like the number? The point was the labor market is tight. Very tight.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.