Attention Economy


Friday, December 1, 2023

Will US Consumer Spending Finally Cool Down?


Inflation Is Your Fault: If people are so mad about high prices, why do they keep buying so many expensive things?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/inflation-is-your-fault/ar-AA1kQ9f0
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/12/inflation-prices-buying-habits/676191/
Annie Lowrey:
You would think, with prices as high as they are, that Americans would have tempered their enthusiasm for shopping of late; that they would have pulled back spending on luxury items; that they would have sought out budget and basic options, bought smaller packages, fewer things.
This is not what has happened. Consumer spending rose 0.2 percent, after accounting for higher prices, in October, the most recent month for which the government has data. Online shopping jumped 7.8 percent over the Thanksgiving long weekend, more than analysts had anticipated. The sales of new cars, dishwashers, cruise vacations, jewelry—all things people tend to give up when they are watching their budget—remain strong. Consultants keep anticipating a recession precipitated by the “death of the consumer.” Thus far, the consumer is staying alive.

 
American spending has kept the economy going since the pandemic. It may finally be stopping, in charts
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/26/business/consumer-spending-slowdown-dg/index.html
 
Americans Are Finally Turning Frugal After Splurging Over Summer
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-01/us-economic-slowdown-has-begun-as-consumer-spending-cools
Government data, retailer warnings indicate consumer pullback. Further labor-market cooling may put more pressure on spending.