If you are reading this after a hard day of shopping, begun in line, in the dark, in the wee hours of the morning, we tip our hat to you and hope you were able to score at least some of what you’d been eyeing.
Shopping on the day after Thanksgiving is as American as, well, as Thanksgiving itself. Our annual celebration of the autumnal harvest long ago morphed into a nominal four-day weekend. With Thursday off to gather and feast with family, and the actual weekend just around the corner, why not find a way to turn Friday into something of a holiday as well.
Which is not to suggest that it’s relaxing. Not at all.
Shopping, sometimes incorrectly derided as an inherently frivolous activity, is the lifeblood of our nation’s economy. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of all economic activity in the United States. This statistic is so often cited that its full impact tends to be blunted, but to take a step back for just an instant is to stand in awe.
Two-thirds.The individual consumers - you, your neighbors, people in cities and towns across the land - are a gigantic force when taken together. If confidence shrinks and consumers tighten their belts, the overall economy takes a huge hit. But if consumers begin to open up their wallets a bit, spending more than retailers and manufacturers and economists had been expecting, then we’ll be getting somewhere. More supplies. More factory hours. Additional research and development. More hires.
Despite the many changes over generations, there are economic verities that remain intact. When consumers buy more, creating additional demand, manufacturers and retailers will increase supply.
Shopping isn’t frivolous; it’s essential, a fundamental element in a growing economy. If you’ve already been out shopping today, you deserve a break. If not, what are you waiting for?