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Consumers are spending on services again as the pandemic shopping spree for goods cools

by Sabri Ben-Achour
May 31, 2022
People want to get outside and do stuff, not just buy stuff. That's reflected in surging travel bookings — and airfare.
Consumers are still spending on big-ticket, durable goods like furniture. But now demand for services is picking up again.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
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Consumers have shifted spending away from goods and toward services

by Justin Ho
May 26, 2022
But they'll shift back when goods they want — like cars — become available.
Consumers experiencing economic difficulties may cut back on expenses like dining out, says Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary.
Jeenah Moon/Getty Images
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Retailers bulked up their inventories during the worst of the pandemic. Now they're stuck with them.

by Justin Ho
May 19, 2022
Big stores like Walmart and Target didn't foresee consumers pivoting away from shopping and toward going out.
Large retailers like Target and Walmart stocked up on goods — like office furniture or home decor — that shoppers bought during the pandemic. But consumers' spending habits are changing.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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Will inflated prices come back down? Mostly no.

by Sabri Ben-Achour
Feb 8, 2022
When conditions leading to inflation ease, don't get your hopes up that prices will go the other way.
The prices of things that tend to be volatile, like energy, may dip when the factors that cause inflation ease. But goods like clothing or home appliances? Probably not so much.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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Rising commodity prices suggest more inflation is on the way

by Sabri Ben-Achour
Feb 2, 2022
The cost of commodities has gone way up, and spendy raw materials suggest more inflation in 2022.
The rising cost of commodities, like coffee and soybeans, indicate that inflation will stick around.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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The U.S. economy tries to find its happy place

by Lily Jamali
Jan 5, 2022
IHS Markit's Purchasing Managers' Indexes for services and manufacturing are a mixed bag.
Observers have attributed freight trains' service shortfalls to both pandemic-related stresses and cost-cutting to please investors.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty images
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Where is consumer spending headed with omicron in the picture?

by Justin Ho
Dec 24, 2021
Manufacturers say they're still optimistic that demand will be there for goods they make. But consumers may start to pull back spending on services.
One likely reason that spending slowed in November? People wanted to get a jump on holiday shopping in anticipation of supply chain issues.
Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images
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Inflation is a global problem

by Kristin Schwab
Dec 16, 2021
But a few unique factors are driving up prices in the United States.
Packages from a delivery truck are spread on a New York City street. While the U.S. is near the top in inflation, it's first among nations in spending on goods.
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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First, the Port of L.A. was clogged. Now, it's Chicago's railroad yards.

by Caroline Champlin
Jul 26, 2021
Given the history of U.S. railroads, a chokepoint in the Windy City was "inevitable" once cargo started backing up elsewhere.
Following the shipping bottleneck in the Port of Los Angeles, Chicago railyards are now experiencing their own backlog.
Andreas Rentz via Getty Images
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We're buying a lot more stuff these days

by Marielle Segarra
Feb 26, 2021
Money can’t buy happiness, but that’s never stopped anyone from trying.
Spending on goods has gone up during the pandemic, but you can get your kids only so many trampolines.
Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
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