The import/export report today, may shed some light on sales.
By Daniel at 11 December, 2009, 5:00 pm
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U.S. IMPORT AND EXPORT PRICE INDEXES – NOVEMBER 2009
The U.S. Import Price Index advanced 1.7 percent in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, led by a 7.3 percent rise in fuel prices.
….Nonfuel import prices rose 0.4 percent in November as higher prices for nonfuel industrial supplies and materials, capital goods, and foods, feeds, and beverages contributed to the advance.
…..Agricultural prices rose 3.7 percent in November after declining 0.7 percent and 2.9 percent in October and September, respectively. Higher prices for soybeans, corn, and wheat led the upturn in agricultural prices.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ximpim.pdf
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This is why being an import nation can mean we are in the doldrums and prices still rise. The global economy and the 2.5 billion middle class consumers in the global economy will determine many of our prices not what shape our economy is in.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ximpim.pdf
How much is increased sales and how much is due to higher price? Loss leader bargains with lower prices to get you in the store can’t be the only determining factor in what CPI is doing. Also, we can’t use the government numbers where “substitution” and “hedonic adjustment” are used to make the number lower than reality for most consumers. What is the cost of health care and over the counter medication doing for the 37 million on retirement incomes.
- JanPaul
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