Could The 4%+ Rise In Consumer Xmas Spending This Year Over Last Have Anything To Do.....

[global1]

with tariff's and the resultant higher prices for goods & products of this year's consumer goods over last year's prices.

Maybe the same amount or a lesser amount of goods sold were purchased by consumers this year - but total dollars spent were higher because the prices were higher this year over last because of the cost of tariff's was built into the prices.

[OldBaldy1701E]

1. That is exactly it.

They did that so they can then say that things were great because of that misleading number and they will not explain how they got it.

Because that would show just how bad things are compared to last year.

[PXR-5]

2. You don't need 37 dolls

when 5 higher priced ones will do 😆
And stop it with all those pencils, just sketch in B&W 😆

[Johonny]

3. Its hard to believe the economy grew and no one is hiring

Wall Street this morning doesn't appear to be buying what they're selling.

[Happy Hoosier]

4. Of course, and the data shows it.

The vaunted rise in Black Friday spending was accompanied by FEWER actual purchases.

[Wounded Bear]

5. Big part of it. We should also ask: Who is doing the spending?

If the bulk of the spending is done by the top quintile, it means something different than if it was at the bottom.

[crud]

6. I heard that the top 10% earners

are the ones doing all the buying this year, not so much the rest of us.

[yardwork]

7. There's probably some truth in that.

The very wealthy are buying luxury goods like mad. Conspicuous consumption is all the rage.

[Fiendish Thingy]

8. Of course it's due to tariffs

Let’s see the stats on the actual revenue generated by retailers, let’s the see the earnings reports on profits made over expenses.

[AZJonnie]

9. The median amount spent per household on xmas shopping would be more illustrative than the mean

And so would looking at how much was actually received by the consumer, not just how much they spent.

I went to buy a bottle of nice, brand-name fragrance for my partner, something I've done many an xmas. I'm used to seeing prices for the nice stuff for $90-$120. This year the nice stuff was in the $180-200 range. As we waited for our gifts to be wrapped by staff, I chatted with another customer, who was equally chagrined and ready to blame tariffs as I suggested to them.

[hedda_foil]

10. It's not Fourth Quarter Christmas shopping. It's for the Third Quarter: July-September.