“Are Shoppers Fed Up With the Recession?” asked Time magazine recently, citing signs that “recession fatigue” is leading some consumers to break out of frugality mode (e.g., one in four American shoppers surveyed by WSL Strategic Retail agreed that they are “tired of watching every little penny and are ready to break out a little”). As Barron’s sees it, “a new consumer is emerging, seeking a sensible middle ground between the gross excesses of the mid-2000s and the privations of the past year.” This increasingly optimistic consumer “will pay a little more to get a little more.”
Barron’s predicts the beneficiaries will be brands offering great value along with stellar products and service, such as Nike, Target and J. Crew. But any brand that can lead consumers toward this “sensible middle ground” stands to benefit, at a time when the rock-bottom prices and severe discounts touted by many marketers are actually serving only to fuel consumers’ thriftiness.
Photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt
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