Hey coffee lovers, here’s a little jolt that may help wake you up. The asking prices for a half-dozen different Starbucks beverages are getting more expensive at a broad swath of the coffee chain’s locations around the country.
Wendy’s is on pace to replace Burger King as the No. 2 hamburger chain in the U.S., and it owes much of its success to new, more upscale menu offerings like thicker, rounder burgers, fries with sea salt and salad with asiago cheese. But that’s nothing compared to what the company is doing in Japan. [...]
Here’s a look back at the frantic holiday shopping season that’s just passed—and that, among other things, reached a high point for self-gifting, shoplifting, free shipping, and procrastination. Without further adieu, this holiday season’s top 10 shopping trends.
Paying $100K for a parking spot sounds totally ridiculous. Unless, that is, that spot would sell for $125K two years after it was purchased—in which case, it’d be a better investment than most traditional real estate has been lately.
Go big, or go out of business. Time and again over the last few years, retailers have resorted to big discounts as a reliable means to move merchandise and boost sales figures. In some cases, raising prices is accomplishing the same goal.
Research shows that in the post-recession era, wealthy Americans are more inclined to wait for items to go on sale before making purchases. Brand names mean less to them, marketing has less influence as well, and the number of well-off shoppers who say they trust salespeople has plummeted. In other words, the rich today are [...]
“If you were the purest of a luxury consumer, you wouldn’t touch this stuff with a ten foot pole.”
A long time ago—way back in 2009—frugality was cool, and showing off luxury items and high-end brands in conspicuous fashion was, well, unfashionable at the very least. There was talk of an entire “recession generation,” whose consumer behavior would always be affected by the era’s dramatic financial collapse. Yet in recent surveys, more people agree [...]
“The younger generations continue to spend as if nothing happened.”
Spending on luxury goods during the peak holiday shopping weeks of 2010 rose 8.5% compared to the year before. Jewelry sales were up even higher, rising 10.4%.
As 2010 comes to a close, keep some money in your pocket when bellying up to the bar or the fast food counter, considering luxury “status” purchases, shopping the post-Christmas sales, and planning your kid’s birthday party.
