February 22, 2006
WEREN'T ONLY ALPO SALES SUPPOSED TO RISE?:
Big retailers see solid quarterly earnings (Lorrie Grant, 2/21/06, USA TODAY)
Three major retailers, including No. 1 Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), posted strong quarterly earnings Tuesday, thanks to aggressive promotions during the key holiday shopping season and store improvements.Posted by Orrin Judd at February 22, 2006 8:17 AMConsumers shrugged off higher gas prices and rising interest rates to make discretionary purchases.
"Retailers had a sales plan for Christmas, stayed with it and then benefited from a very strong January without giving up margins," says Britt Beemer, CEO of retail consultant America's Research Group.
With the huge growth of store gift cards, January is becoming part of Christmas.
Posted by: David Cohen at February 22, 2006 11:08 AMI wonder when it started becoming cheaper to buy actual meat, rather than dog food, as is the case now.
In any case, it was always a foolish choice to buy pet food to stretch a food budget - had the little old ladies in the seventies never heard of 50 lb. sacks of rice, beans, potatoes, and oats ?
One can dine well, if blandly, on less than a dollar a day.
Posted by: Noam Chomsky at February 23, 2006 5:57 AMOh yes. My brother ("Uncle Evil", as he is known to the kids), learned many things about cooking potatoes when he was a bit strapped for cash. He was amazed at how little one had to spend to eat, if one put one's mind to it.
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at February 23, 2006 10:46 AM