My report from the retail front lines

[TwixVoy]

I have to say that for the past month and a half I thought the economy was picking up again. Our sales were doing better and it was obviously more busy.

Now the past week it looks like whatever was driving that increase has completely gone away. (I am guessing the tax rebates have been spent)

Sales are tanking again. We are a giant general merchandise retailer, and we can get by fine with two cash registers open the entire day once again. (We have 26 check out lanes total)

People are not buying anything they don't need. For example, literally almost half the product in our domestics department is 50% off to make way for new product. The stuff won't move! Literally it is not selling down. It's probably going to have to hit 75% before people actually start buying it. Of course few people are in the store to buy it to begin with.

Also want to add that corporate is sending down price increases pretty fequently now... to the point of being crazy. For example, some 12 packs of cola are now up to $4.88. (from $3.50 overnight) Inflation is definitely here.

Not looking good folks.

[Binka]

1. Stimulus Checks Are All Gone

Or used to buy gas and food. The economy fucking STINKS!

[SoCalDem]

11. we never even GOT ours

We got a letter saying we would, but then..nada..

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I have noticed

It's sad. I was out today looking for a new pair of shoes and was the only customer in all of the stores I went into. Plus I got great parking places.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. It will get bad, I know, worst actually

[HughMoran]

4. Nobody needs dome-sticks?

:rofl:

[Warpy]

5. Not just stimulus checks

The Dow is continuing the slide it started in February and March after the interest rate cut sucker rally. Even people who don't have investments see it heading downward and start to feel pessimistic.

Added to the spent stimulus checks, the double digit inflation in everything people buy every day (opposed to that once in a lifetime vacation or plasma TV that are used to "balance it out") and the fact that wages have stayed the same or even declined as people have had to take "make do" jobs due to outsourcing, and you've got a recipe for a retail disaster.

When the retail/consumer economy dies, that is when we stop calling it a recession and start calling it a depression because it tends to take everything else with it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Care to wager when Bernacke will ahem ACT?

I mean the DOW is close to 12K again

[TomInTib]

10. I am in one of the wealthiest ZIPs in the country and we are dying.

I have a moderate-to-high-end Gallery of Asian art, furniture, and accessories, normally unaffected by any downward trend in the economy.

Lately, I have been bringing some guitars in and friends come down and we play all day. That's about it.

The bars are thriving, though.

[Warpy]

15. Bars and cheap diners did the best in the Depression

I have a friend who owns a gallery in Santa Fe who is sharing your experience, even down to the guitars.

Even the uber rich have realized that the fall in the dollar has wiped out half their paper wealth.

[TomInTib]

16. "Down to the guitars", eh?

Six String Salvation.

By the way, do you like really fun blues (if there is such a thing as "fun blues") and slide guitar?

Maybe I could send you something.

Tom

[KatyaR]

7. A friend and I are going shopping this weekend.

There's a bead show at the fairgrounds, and then we're going to a knitting shop. It'll be interesting to see how many people are in both places.

The last time I was in a knitting store was a few months ago--we were in there an hour and were the only customers they had. Usually this store is packed on a Saturday morning, but not that day.

Yet WalMart and Sam's parking lots are overflowing.

[blues90]

8. maybe it will get better .

Not everyone got their checks yet . I don't know what you sell but it looks bad for almost everything unless you have an energy business.

My clothes are old and beginning to fray , I can't afford anything .

[TwixVoy]

9. We sell everything

I work at one of the big three retailers in the country.

[blues90]

12. I'm sorry . I haven't been in a store for years so i don't see

what's going on in this respect. But I'm sorry the business is not going well. It hurts a lot of people. As others have said , people most likey spent their checks on fuel or bills.

[Lex]

13. All the stores seem less crowded to me. Grocery, retail, Whole Foods,

everything.

[KG]

14. i've been cut back to 4 days/32 hours a week myself. no disposible income here.