Fortune (October 24)
“Some economists have called the “K shaped economy.” Affluent households continue to spend freely on travel, entertainment, and premium goods, keeping service-sector inflation stubborn. Lower- and middle-income consumers, by contrast, are pushing back, trading down, stretching budgets, or delaying purchases altogether.”
Tags: Affluent, Consumers, Economists, Entertainment, Households, Inflation, K shaped economy, Middle-income, Premium goods, Service-sector, Spend, Travel
Minnesota Star Tribune (November 9)
Clawcades are “the new Japanese-style arcade sweeping the Twin Cities. At least four claw (or crane) machine-only businesses have opened in the past year, drawing kids and adults alike in search of entertainment and Japanese prizes, like Hello Kitty or Pokémon plushies.”
Tags: Adults, Arcade, Claw, Clawcades, Crane, Entertainment, Hello Kitty, Japanese-style, Kids, Machine, Pokémon plushies, Prizes, Twin Cities
Star Tribune (February 21)
Hit by higher costs for barley, a can shortage and soaring shipping costs, “even the world’s largest beer manufacturers are passing on their higher costs to consumers.” Up to now, “consumers have taken it in stride. Just as higher grocery bills are offset by dining out less, a bigger tab at liquor stores is being absorbed by a lack of travel and entertainment expenses.” Even so, there are worries we may be reaching a turning point where consumption will fall.
Tags: Barley, Beer, Can, Consumers, Dining out, Entertainment, Groceries, Higher costs, Manufacturers, Shipping, Shortage, Soaring, Travel, Turning-point
LA Times (September 11)
“America’s malls are dying. Owners are hoping virtual reality and fitness centers will save them.” As merchants increasingly withdraw in the face of e-tailers, Credit Suisse “recently predicted 20% to 25% of U.S. malls will shut down within five years…. To survive, malls need to set aside long-established models that rely on two or more anchor tenants to draw customers and, instead, develop a mixture of retail, entertainment and housing.”
Tags: Anchor tenants, Credit Suisse, Customers, Dying, e-tailers, Entertainment, Fitness, Housing, Malls, Retail, U.S., Virtual reality
Financial Times (January 24)
Undercover reporting by the Financial Times revealed “groping and sexual harassment” at a secretive black-tie event that “has been a mainstay of London’s social calendar for 33 years.” Thursday’s event, attended by 360 men “from British business, politics and finance” with entertainment provided by 130 female hostesses, however, will be the last. The expose unleashed a deluge of criticism and The Presidents Club is disbanding.
Tags: Black-tie, Business, Entertainment, Finance, Groping, London, Politics, Presidents Club, Reporting, Secretive, Sexual harassment, Social calendar, Undercover
