tedstr

Have Americans Changed Their Spending Habits?

Indeed. We are surrounded by products that survive on nothing more than marketing. Consumer product marketing over the past 10-15 years has been driven more by a "hit" culture, meaning making a marketing splash around a huge margin lower quality merchandise, than it has been around building sustainable businesses....all a result of the topping of a supercycle and the attendant almost hourly scramble to make even higher earnings against a turning tide.

This has been fueled by the late 20th century convergence of mass manufactuing (superpowered by CAD/CAM efficiencies), mass media (superpowered by TV ), and mass marketing to the mass affluent. Even lower socio-economic groups participate now through mass retailing (Walmart and the arrival of big box retailing).

I doubt most of the people reading this have seen life today at a Walmart in Flint Michigan. Lots of America at the start of the new century not looking very nice.