The US Consumer Is Drowning His Sorrows At The Bar
Submitted by Jim Quinn via The Burning Platform blog,
Month after month I watch as the MSM mouthpieces try to spin declining consumer spending in a positive light. They are practically out of excuses. They are befuddled, because month after month they report “awesome” job gains and can’t understand why all these gainfully employed Americans aren’t buying shit they don’t need like they used to. These faux journalists, spouting propaganda for their ruling class bosses, are willfully ignorant of the fact the job gains are in low paying part-time jobs and the fact that Obamacare and record high rents are sapping any discretionary income households would use to buy stuff.
Despite the propaganda from the media and happy talk from the Liar-in-Chief, the country is currently in a recession and the Fed has no ammo to fake another recovery. We are going down and going down hard. When 70% of your economy is based on Americans buying shit they don’t need from China on credit cards, a dramatic slowdown in consumer spending equals recession. When sales actually fall from November to December during the holiday season, you are in recession. We’ve arrived.
The December report was a disaster and portends horrible retailer results coming down the road. More ghost malls coming to your neighborhood. The annual results were pitiful, with the more recent months even more dreadful. So after adding 10 million jobs, according to Obama, spending declines? They must be great jobs.
I think the results are even worse than portrayed in the results presented by the Census Bureau. Retail sales grew by only 2.2% in 2015 versus 2014. That is significantly less than the real inflation being experienced by real people, so on an inflation adjusted basis they fell. Even the 2.2% increase is artificially pumped up by the Fed induced auto debt fueled boom in car sales (or long-term rentals in reality). The 7 year 0% auto loans, subprime auto loans to deadbeats, and record levels of auto leases have created fake demand that will end in tears when the defaults skyrocket. If you remove these fake sales, then total retail sales are up a pitiful 0.9% over 2014.
When you realize that two of the few strong sales categories were autos (7.5%) and furniture stores (5.8%), you can put your thinking cap on and realize the 7 year 0% financing scam is solely responsible for these sales. Reducing credit score criteria and extending loan terms always works. Right? The other relatively strong area was internet sales (6.3%). Amazon and the rest of the on-line retail segment continues to destroy the bricks and mortar retailers, but even these sales are slowing. They were up a weak 0.3% from November. Before the states started taxing internet sales and it was still a newer concept, the annual growth rates were 15% to 20%, so the 6.3% growth rate is rather unimpressive.
And this leads me to the strongest spending segment – restaurants/bars. Sales were up 8.1% over 2014 and continued strong in December. I know this is true firsthand as my wife is a waitress at a restaurant/sports bar and business was booming in December and continues to be good in January. My thesis for this strong spending is that people are so miserable about the economy in general and the direction of the country (reflected in Trump’s support), they have decided to drink and eat, for tomorrow we die. Dining out or getting loaded at a bar takes your mind off your troubles for a few hours. It’s not a huge expenditure and you just put it on your credit card and worry about it later.
When the mass layoffs start hitting in 2016, even this category of spending will contract. If you think the 2015 consumer spending numbers were atrocious, you haven’t seen anything yet.
(26 votes)
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I think you could use a drink, Jurgster.
Speaking of which.... I'm outta here. Little piece of advice to the young'uns... NEVER ANSWER YOUR PHONE AFTER 3:00 ON A FRIDAY. NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS FROM THOSE CALLS.
Makes sense, drink at until your drunk and then get a $4 greek call girl and take out your frustration. Now if only alcohol prices can deflate dramitically life could be tolerable.
They waited for you to get to the bar before releasing the GDPNow data-on a three day weekend to boot.
https://www.frbatlanta.org/cqer/research/gdpnow.aspx?panel=1
Drink up! You will need it!
I dont drink at the bars. Too expensive
A liter of Evan Williams is only $18 and a 30 pack of PBR is $16.
Once I get my reflux boka still completed, liqour will be even cheaper.
Corn, enzymes and yeast are pretty cheap.
Fundamental Transformation
Change You Better Believe In
Soros-Clinton-Obama Machine = Oligarch Fortunes & Misery for the Sheeple
Better to get baked.
.
Opens the mind.
Vince Foster was open-minded.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CYylR-PVAAEhp0L.jpg:large
"Vince Foster was open-minded."
JFK 'became' open minded' after the CIA finally got thru to him & appealed to his senses & higher reasoning functions.
Seriously, drink only the best!
Retail alcohol sales are growing - sales to bars and restaurants are flat or down.
People are drinking more at home. It's cheaper. And they're drinking cheaper booze.
Some are still trying to impress others with 'premium' brands but you'd be amazed at how many times that bottle of Grey Goose at home has been refilled with something a lot cheaper.
Evidently Costco bought out the brewer from Grey Goose to make their Vodka.
http://images.costco-static.com/image/media/350-999910-847__1.jpg
Good stuff at half the price or less.
Soon, Miley Cyrus is gonna open her own brand at Costco & call it 'TWERKLAND'
http://41.media.tumblr.com/42a6ca92727ff91d27d2a5ffdf3467d1/tumblr_mseil...
I only drink at home, Pittinger Märzen (cheap Austrian beer), In Scotland I used to drink Tennents. I have not been to a restaurant in years.
And here there is a very big cafe society, it's their escape from reality, its also chick to eat out and socialize, to be seen doing this.
The main streets are still full of shoppers, and there are always new stores being built, these people do not see the train coming.
Evan Williams is the best for the $ out there
What about George Dickface?
That's some good sipping whiskey and after finding out what it tastes like with Coca Cola I don't understand how anyone can drink CC without it.
http://www.mybottleshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/George-Dickel-...
I'll drink to that!
US Consumer is only drowning his sorrows at the bar becasue it is highly illegal to drown the source of his sorrows at the lake.
Reminds me of the collapse of the USSR when the average lifespan dropped from 68 to 59 due to the dejected population drinking themselves to death.
GIven it's a foggy fukkin friday, I can't disagree.
Drink at home, much cheaper.
Buy supermarket special beer deals,
Or red wine out of cartons.
But be careful with large stocks, one tends to binge drink them and you could become addicted.
This is the best time in history to be a bartender, a pimp or maybe even a drug dealer.
When everyone is broke the tips suck.
I'm fixin' to start selling broads, booze, and bang-bangs. All day, all night. Aint a problem my services can't fix. Good times, hard times. Come see me!
"This is the best time in history to be a bartender, a pimp or maybe even a drug dealer."
At some strip clubs you can be all three.
So all those bartender jobs were the fed geniuses at work
I've taken to buying smaller quantities because I know no matter what I buy, it won't see the sunrise.
Or better yet, don't drink at all.
Approx. $6000 saved since 2012.
Shoot, after i quit drinking a few years back, I must've saved over 100k. And sadly I'm not joking.
Its just as entertaining watching the drunks make total fools of themselves. Since quiting 5 years ago i enjoy clubs even more.
yea and cancer aint cheap either. know many cancer alcohol deaths... sorry folks and i still drink a bit.
Risk, what can u do
I haven't had a drink in years, bought a motorcycle instead. Oh, and I divorced that nagging bitch.
Woo Hoo
My ex-wife was 'tarded. She's a pilot now. There are plenty of 'tards livin' really kick-ass lives.
My grandma always said never trust anyone who doesn't drink.
So you failed as an alcoholic ?
Before my liver excaped into rehab, I was drinking a grand a month.
8 years sober this Feb.
Quitter.
congradudamnlations suckah...ah ca' use dat 6000 rights now...
Top shelf airplane bottles cost $1 at my liquor store. Never leave home without 'em.
.......with the added bonus that those airplane bottles serve as an alternate means of monetary exxchange when your paper fiat has gone to hyperinflation hell.
I've got 200 of the little fuckers for exactly that purpose. The alcohol for drinking is stored in larger bottles. Wild turkey 101 is a great value IMO.
Stay out of the bathroom.
It's ok, the bathroom is the only place in the house I don't drink.
For efficiency, it's tough to beat sitting on the pot with your tablet getting shitfaced.
I like to drink
ah likes me some damn liqah'...
How do you stop bitchezzzz from shopping?
shopping okay and cannot be stopped.... buying not okay
How do you stop bitchezzzz from shopping?... for shoes!
Thats my problem, Jesus what is with them. If i told you she designed and built a bedframe to hold them, not all of them, I would not be lying!