The great U.S. retail Apocalypse?

[bannination]

http://intellihub.com/20-facts-great-u- ... blow-mind/

What do you guys think? Is this a serious thing to worry about, or just corporate types worrying that they can't make the profits that they used to when they don't pay their employee's like they used to?

Ramifications on the stock market?

Will this affect my Obama phone and checks?

Will people finally stop reproducing?!!?!!?

[bannination]

It's my fault - I make goods last as long as they possibly can, shun big box stores, buy whatever I can from thrift shops, am not a breeder, and do most of my grocery shopping at the Hendersonville Community Coop. Otoh, I shop online as little as possible due to security concerns and a desire to support local merchants.

I don't know how it will shake out but our glutinous consumer culture is unsustainable. So, big changes are inevitable.

That's what I wonder, perhaps people that were trying to live the middle class life are realizing they can't live the middle class life. They had an illusion of a middle class life via debt, but now the bills are coming due. There really isn't that much change in economic conditions, just a realization.

The days of the 3000sqft home is coming to and end. I think most of us realized we couldn't afford those to begin with.

[neoplacebo]

I quit breeding many years ago, and was not prolific. I only buy what I need or want, without regard to ads, threats, or incentives that are actually economic pitfalls. Not sure if this is a trend.

[Bungalow Bill]

This might be premature, hard to tell from the info given. I'll just say that
the U.S. does not enjoy the same advantages it did for the twenty-five or
so years after WWII. This means it will likely have a somewhat tougher time
of it in the future. Whether that means the permanent shrinking of the middle
class is another thing. Time will tell.

[bannination]

This might be premature, hard to tell from the info given. I'll just say that
the U.S. does not enjoy the same advantages it did for the twenty-five or
so years after WWII. This means it will likely have a somewhat tougher time
of it in the future. Whether that means the permanent shrinking of the middle
class is another thing. Time will tell.

I often wonder if once the air in China becomes unbreathable - as it is close to now, they'll have no choice but to implement dirty liberal environmental regulations and the labor market will be back on a slightly more favorable balance - more jobs may come back to the U.S.

[O Really]

It's my fault - I make goods last as long as they possibly can, shun big box stores, buy whatever I can from thrift shops, am not a breeder, and do most of my grocery shopping at the Hendersonville Community Coop. Otoh, I shop online as little as possible due to security concerns and a desire to support local merchants.

I don't know how it will shake out but our glutinous consumer culture is unsustainable. So, big changes are inevitable.

No, it's my fault. Except for groceries, I pretty much shop exclusively online, even for things I end up having to pick up at a B/M store. I buy as much foodstuff locally as reasonably possible. We waste practically nothing, and get long lives out of clothes and most other stuff. Tech stuff, not so much, though.

[JTA]

get long lives out of clothes

I still rock the jean shorts like it's 199X.

It's also my belief that no real man buys underwear or socks until they've disintegrated into nothingness. That's the rule.

[neoplacebo]

Yeah, I don't usually get new underwear until the elastic in the existing ones quits working. Also, any new clothes I buy I always run through the washer and dryer first. Wash your clean clothes; they're mostly from places you don't want to go to.

[JTA]

Yeah, I don't usually get new underwear until the elastic in the existing ones quits working. Also, any new clothes I buy I always run through the washer and dryer first. Wash your clean clothes; they're mostly from places you don't want to go to.

The good part about wearing jeans is you can usually go about a week or so without having to change out to a new part.

Jean shorts this time span increases to about ~2 weeks or more depending on how much outdoor activities you partake in, since the stink airs out a little better than jeans since they're shorts and all.

[neoplacebo]

Less jeans, less stink. More jeans, more stink. I still think someone is missing out on making lots of money by starting a new express nude airline...no searches, no waiting, just walk through naked and fly away. It was my idea originally.

[Bungalow Bill]

Every once in a while there is an article listing the factors that favor more
production in the U.S.--wages in foreign countries are rising, it's now cheaper
to make it here than to have to ship it here from overseas, etc. How much
actual effect this will have I don't know. That's another thing we'll have to
wait a number of years to see if it comes true. Maybe the Chinese will slowly
clean up their act. I doubt peoples' health will be a major factor in their doing
so.

I buy underwear before it disappears into nothing, but I don't like wearing
socks, and now that Spring is almost here, I've already ditched them.

[bannination]

Less jeans, less stink. More jeans, more stink. I still think someone is missing out on making lots of money by starting a new express nude airline...no searches, no waiting, just walk through naked and fly away. It was my idea originally.

No searches? Have you seen all the nooks an crannies people in the U.S. could hide stuff in? Even the normal weighted ones I'm sure the TSA would require and anal/vaginal exam.... because well if you want to hide something those are the only places left.