Where is the US economy headed?

Page 111 and the air is tense...

Hawkeye, as I read his posts, is pessimistic based on his reading of wage stagnation and consumer confidence.

The Black Friday shopping weekend may be losing its mojo.

A survey of shoppers released Sunday by the National Retail Federation shows how early discounting, more online shopping and an improving economy have fewer people shopping on the weekend that kicks off the holiday shopping season.

Overall, 133.7 million people shopped at stores and online over the four-day holiday weekend, down 5.2 percent from last year, according to a survey of 4,631 consumers by the trade group.

Less people visited stores, and the average person spent less in stores and online during the weekend, according to a survey of shoppers released Sunday by the National Retail Federation (NRF). Total shopping traffic in stores and online dropped by 5.2 percent compared with 2013, and the average person only spent $380.95, compared with last year's $407.02, the retail group's survey said.

Even though some retailers opened earlier than ever on Thanksgiving Day, about the same amount of people as last year ventured into stores on the holiday.

While it may seem counter-intuitive, analysts say the decrease in shopping over the heavily-discounted Thanksgiving weekend actually signals a stronger season since it shows that people are less interested in "sales" — because the economy is getting stronger.

Have Americans finally had enough of Black Friday madness?

Sales, both in stores and online, from Thanksgiving through the weekend were estimated to have dropped 11 percent, to $50.9 billion, from $57.4 billion last year, according to preliminary survey results released Sunday by the National Retail Federation. Sales fell despite many stores’ opening earlier than ever on Thanksgiving Day.

Cyber Monday is turning into Cyber Month.

Retailers rolled out discounts and free shipping deals on Cyber Monday, with millions of Americans expected to log on and shop on their work computers, laptops and tablets after the busy holiday shopping weekend.

But with retailers extending their online deals into "Cyber Week" and even "Cyber Month," early reports indicated shopping was less robust online on Monday compared with prior years. As of 3 p.m. ET, online sales rose just 8.7 percent compared with last year, according to IBM Digital Analytics. The figures don't take into account the many shoppers who plan to head online after work or in the evening. But a year ago, Cyber Monday sales jumped 20.6 percent, according to IBM.

"Cyber Monday offers aren't super compelling, but don't need to be," she said. "It's been the biggest shopping day of the year for the last few years, so they know that people are going to come."

That appetite may be fed by increasing parity between online and in-store deals and the convenience of options like same-day shipping and buy online, pick up in store, all of which are making it easier for consumers to wait out the season for the best prices, says Lucinda Duncalfe, CEO of Monetate, a company that sells software to retailers to help them personalize the online shopping experience.

"You can shop online later and later and still get things by Christmas Day," she says. "What will end up happening over time is this continued flattening of the season where people are more willing to wait to see what's going to happen."

JCP got hammered as it increasingly looks like I am correct that they are done.

Quote:

JCP got hammered as it increasingly looks like I am correct that they are done.

Another one of your pontifications about the future? This ranks right up there with your claim we needed to buy Gold at $1500 because it could go nowhere but up.