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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: consumer spending

consumer spending stories: 96 news summaries

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Nouriel Roubini

Forget the Rosy Stats:
The Little Guy Is in Bad Shape

Economy far worse off than statistics indicate

Nov 18, 09 1:34 PM CST
(Newser) - Don’t believe the rosy official statistics; for most Americans, the economy is in incredibly bad shape, according to the economist some call “Dr. Doom.” We’re looking at a tale of two economies, Nouriel Roubini writes in the Globe and Mail . For top businesses, it’s... More »

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economic indicators • consumer confidence • unemployment • consumer spending • economy • underemployment • Nouriel Roubini

ANALYSIS

US GDP Jump Hollow if Unemployment Keeps Rising

... and it's still rising faster than before recession

Oct 29, 09 8:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - News that the US gross domestic product jumped 3.5% in the third quarter cheered investors and others, but the cheers will ring hollow if unemployment keeps rising, John Authers writes. Consumer spending rose even as disposable income fell—“ not a pattern that can be sustained for long, and... More »

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recession • unemployment • consumer spending • economic stimulus package • consumer confidence index • US gross domestic product • financial crisis • Cash for Clunkers • disposable income

 Women Drive Recovery, 
 But Dissed By Retail 



Biz approach to females: take 'a male product and paint it pink'

Oct 26, 09 2:32 AM CDT
(Newser) - Women who shop til they drop are stimulating the economy more than any Ben Bernanke, but the planet's greatest spending bloc feels dissed by retailers and service providers. Women control $20 trillion in annual consumer spending in the world—a figure likely to climb to $28 trillion by 2014. Despite... More »

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China • retail • shopping • women • consumer spending • world • spending • economy • service sector • retail businesses


 Supermarkets Slash Prices 
 

Deflation stalks the aisles; Safeway cuts below profit point

Sep 17, 09 7:32 AM CDT
(Newser) - Americans are getting a big break on the price of food, as the recession drives down the cost of wheat, milk, and other staples, and supermarkets fight feverishly for sales. After a year of dramatic increases, commodities are way down—the price of corn, for instance, is down 56% since... More »

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recession • consumer spending • supermarket • deflation • food prices • commodities • retailers

 Penny Pinching 
 May Linger Long 
 After Recession 

Lasting change for once-insatiable American consumers?

Aug 29, 09 6:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Great Recession is loosening its grip on Americans, but the spirit of thrift it inspired isn't, reports the New York Times. Consumer spending, which until recently accounted for 70% of US economic activity, looks unlikely to return to full steam as consumers emerge from the recession cramped by lower... More »

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recession • consumer spending

 Lousy Retail Sales Will Delay Recovery

Recession isn't over
as far as consumers
are concerned

Aug 19, 09 8:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - If the recession is indeed waning, nobody told consumers. Retailers of every kind reported lousy sales for the quarter ended Aug. 1, the Wall Street Journal reports. Target’s same-store sales fell 6.2%, Home Depot’s dropped 9.1% and Saks’ plummeted a whopping 15.5%. And with... More »

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retail • recession • consumer spending • Home Depot • retail sales • Target • retail stores • economy • Saks • financial crisis • recession depression • retail sector

Sales of Men's Undies Rebound With Economy

Analyst sees hope in unusual indicator's promising numbers

Aug 13, 09 3:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - Amid mixed reports about recession and economic recovery, here's a bright spot: Men’s underwear sales are on the rebound. Believe it or not, that's a reliable indicator, because selling unmentionables is “such a need-based business that it really is a good indication that the consumer hasn't checked... More »

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recession • consumer spending • retail sales • lingerie • analyst • apparel • men's underwear

(Newser) - The US economy contracted in the second quarter, but it was a mild decline that beat analyst estimates, Bloomberg reports. GDP fell 1%, less than the 1.5% economists predicted, and a heck of a lot less than the 6.4% and 5.4% drops seen in the two... More »

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economic indicators • consumer spending • GDP • economy

Stimulus Boosts Americans' Incomes

Consumers tuck funds away: Savings rate
hits 16-year high

Jun 26, 09 2:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - Incomes in the US got a big boost from federal stimulus dollars in May, the Commerce Department reported today. But weary consumers stashed most of that lucre away, sending the savings rate to a 16-year high. “Households are reverting to a more sustainable spending path vis-à-vis income,”... More »

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income • consumer spending • savings • economic stimulus package • consumers • household income

 Mortgage Rates 
 Hit 3-Month High 

Housing and consumer-spending rebound hopes endangered

May 29, 09 7:28 AM CDT
(Newser) - Mortgage rates jumped to a three-month high yesterday, putting hopes for a rebound in the housing market and consumer spending at risk, the Wall Street Journal reports. The average 30-year fixed rate hit 5.44% from 5.29% the day before and 5.03% Tuesday. The rates make it tougher... More »

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housing market • consumer spending • mortgage rates • mortgage defaults • mortgage delinquency

(Newser) - If economists are right, the worst is over for the US economy. In a survey released today by the National Association for Business Economics, 74% of economists said the recession would end in the third quarter. But the coming recovery won’t be a strong one, they warned. Job losses... More »

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recession • consumer spending • economist • GDP • National Association for Business Economics • financial crisis

MARKETS

 Dow Off 184 on Consumer Woes 


May 13, 09 3:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - The ugly news on consumer spending cast a pall over Wall Street throughout today’s session, the Financial Times reports, pushing all three major indices down more than 2%. The unexpected dip in retail sales was particularly hard on retailers Target, Lowe’s, and Office Depot. The Dow finished off... More »

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stock market • Dow Jones • Nasdaq • consumer spending • S&P 500

Experts Fret as Americans Squirrel Away Income

Savings rate jumps over job, portfolio fears

May 9, 09 2:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - Even after the economy rebounds, the US will likely remain a nation of penny pinchers—and that has economists worried, the New York Times reports. Consumer spending accounts for 70% of the country’s GDP, but Americans, fretting over job security and losses in the housing and stock sectors, are... More »

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consumer • recession • consumer spending • GDP • savings • economy • thrift

Economy Shrinks Faster Than Expected
in 1st Quarter

6.1% pace fueled by biz cutbacks, export drop

Apr 29, 09 8:13 AM CDT
(AP) - The US economy shrank at a worse-than-expected 6.1% pace at the start of this year as sharp cutbacks by businesses and the biggest drop in US exports in 40 years overwhelmed a rebound in consumer spending. Today's Commerce Department report dashed hopes that the recession's grip on the country... More »

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United States • exports • consumer spending • Department of Commerce • economy • financial crisis

Recession-Wary Teens
Cut Back on Spending

Teens spend less on food, apparel while video games and DVDs still popular

Apr 27, 09 9:31 AM CDT
(Newser) - The downturn is causing teens, who usually spend through recessions while parents absorb the pinch, to cut back, Advertising Age reports. Teenagers are spending about 14% less this spring than last, a “dramatic impact” from a demographic that spends an average of $125 billion each year. Unemployment is also... More »

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recession • gaming • unemployment • consumer spending • spending • teenager • video games • financial crisis • DVDs

Herd Mentality Moves Many to Needless Penny-Pinching

Psychology has everyone spending less, even those who don't need to

Apr 16, 09 10:09 AM CDT
(Newser) - Amid the economic distress, many people who can spend as freely as they could before aren’t, the Washington Post reports. Such consumers, economists say, take psychological cues from friends and the media and pinching pennies needlessly—which only helps deepen the downturn. Upper-income consumers cut spending from $185 in... More »

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recession • psychology • consumer spending • consumer psychology • financial crisis • economic crisis

 Poll: Few Plan Splurges 
 With Tax Refunds 

More people than ever are just paying off bills

Apr 13, 09 9:13 AM CDT
(Newser) - Taxpayers’ refund checks are starting to arrive, but this year the economy might not see much of a boost from that money, an AP poll finds. More people are planning to spend their refunds in some way, but 54% say they’ll pay off existing bills rather than go on... More »

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consumer spending • credit card • bills • splurges • tax refunds • taxpayers • financial crisis

Men's Skivvy Sales Spell
More Trouble

Stimulus package or not, underwear metric indicates downturn

Apr 9, 09 9:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - More bad news, this time from the men’s underwear department. One of former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan’s favorite metrics for predicting changes in consumer spending was the sales of men’s skivvies, the Huffington Post reports. It seems that sales are projected to decline 2.3% this year,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
economic indicators • Alan Greenspan • consumer spending • underwear • boxers • economic downturn • men's underwear

(Newser) - Unemployment has hit a 25-year high, but analysts say it will worsen as job cuts force consumers to cut back, triggering yet more payroll reductions, Bloomberg reports. Manufacturers, service providers, and even the US Postal Service are planning to lay off workers in the face of declining consumer demand. “... More »

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layoffs • recession • unemployment • consumer spending • manufacturing • Department of Labor • payrolls

(Newser) - Americans are stressed about the economy and keeping their wallets shut, says a new ABC/Washington Post poll. While the number of Americans who say the economy is getting better is on the rise, that's not translating into shopping habits. Six in 10 say they feel stressed—half of those describe... More »

MORE ABOUT:
poll • consumer spending • spending • economy

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